The NUT

National Union of Teachers

The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...

 teacher strike was a 24 hour strike by teachers on 24 April 2008, over the issue of pay. It was the largest strike in Britain for more than 20 years. It is also believed that up to 8000 schools were affected by this strike.There was also a strike by the UCU

University and College Union

The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education ....

, which is the teachers' trade union for further education

Further education

Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...

, with over 1000 members of the UCU joining a march in London

Causes

Members of the NUT were unhappy with a 2.45% pay deal, which they had said would leave teachers worse off, due to the rising cost of living in Britain.