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Industrial action: FAQs

Get answers to your questions about strike action. Find out about your rights and responsibilities, and how to respond to industrial action.

Last reviewed on 26 January 2026See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 45513
Contents
  1. What's the current state of play? 
  2. How to respond to strike action
  3. What to do about cover and teaching arrangements
  4. Understand rights and pay for striking workers
  5. Practical considerations for strike days

The Employments Right Act 2025 passed in December 2025, abolishing minimum service levels for schools during strike action. The act also classes all dismissals for participating in strike action as automatically unfair from 18 February 2026. 

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 These FAQs are based on:

See the sources section at the bottom of this page for the other guidance, advice and legislation that these FAQs draw from.

Please note, unions may have different interpretations of your legal requirements than the DfE.

We recommend you seek legal advice and consult with any union reps in your school, as appropriate.

What's the current state of play? 

How to respond to strike action

What to do about cover and teaching arrangements

Understand rights and pay for striking workers

Practical considerations for strike days

Sources

The information in this article is based on:

Article updates

26 January 2026

We've updated this article to reflect changes enacted by the Employment Right Act 2025, impacting the removal of minimum service levels, and granting automatic unfair dismissal claims for workers dismissed for taking part in strike action.

14 April 2025

We've updated the 'current state of play section' with the results of the NEU's preliminary online ballot.

23 May 2025

We've updated the 'current state of play section' with details of the 2025/26 teachers' pay award.

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