TEACHERS from Warrington will join thousands in a march across London on Wednesday, as strikes continue for better pay.

Members of the National Education Union will strike for the third and fourth days of a long-running dispute with the government over a decade of real-terms pay cuts and a lack of school funding.

On earlier strike dates last month, 15 per cent of schools were forced to close completely and up to 70 per cent were only partially open, often just to exam year groups or children from vulnerable families.

The union expects a similar impact this week with more than 1,000 of its 32,000 striking members to head to London for a national demonstration on March 15 - the same day that Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Budget Statement in Parliament.

Teachers from schools across Warrington will be collected from a pick up point at Bridge Foot at 5am on Wednesday and will head down to London where the rally will take place, ending in Trafalgar Square.

The rally will be addressed by senior NEU officials as well as representative of the Junior Doctors (British Medical Association), Civil Servants (Public and Commercial Services union) and other striking workers.

The NEU’s Northwest Regional Secretary, Peter Middleman commented in advance of the strikes, “Wednesday’s Budget Statement is a crucial one for students, parents, school governors and the teachers at all levels who are keeping the sector in England on life-support while Ministers are starving it of funds.

“Members on picket lines and those joining the exodus to the capital this week are clear that the Education Secretary and Chancellor have a duty to the population to ensure that schools can afford to keep the heating on while recruiting and retaining good teachers.

“After 12-years of real-terms pay cuts, we know from the government’s own data that while remaining a brilliant profession, teaching as a career is in utter crisis and it’s getting worse under the current administration.

“We sincerely hope that the Budget settlement provides Gillian Keegan with the impetus to engage in meaningful talks to prevent this dispute being dragged on through the summer term and beyond.”