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A planned Valentine’s Day strike by teachers in Wales has been postponed after a new pay offer was tabled by the Welsh Government.

The national executive of the National Education Union Cymru said strike action for next Tuesday has been postponed until March 2 and that it will consult its members.

Teachers have been offered an extra 1.5% on this year’s 5% pay award, as well as a 1.5% one-off payment. The Welsh Government has insisted this is the maximum it can afford.

NEU Joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “The willingness of the Welsh Government to engage in talks with us about the current pay dispute is in stark contrast to the position taken by Westminster and the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan.

“We have now had a series of discussions in Wales where the focus has been on resolving the dispute, resulting in the current offer.”

The union said that while the offer was “significantly below” what was wanted and that it will continue to press for a new pay deal for its teaching support staff members.

The union’s Wales Secretary David Evans said: “Workload remains a huge issue for our members and progress has been made in attending to a range of workload drivers for the short, medium, and long-term. We have conveyed our members’ views to Welsh Government, who have signalled an intent to address what has become an unsustainable pressure on the workforce and will be welcomed across the profession.

“There has also been an agreement to review the Independent Wales Pay Review Board’s (WPRB) recommendations on pay for the 2023/24 academic year. We look forward to providing detailed evidence of the effects of spiralling inflation and cost of living crisis to the IWPRB.

“We have been pressing for this review which is clearly overdue.”

The National Association of Headteachers said it would also go to its members on the revised deal, but will still continue its industrial action short of a strike.

The Welsh Government’s Education Minister Jeremy Miles said: “The decision not to proceed with strike action next week is good news for pupils, parents, carers  and staff.

“We also welcome that NEU and NAHT have agreed to take the new pay offer to their members and representatives.

“Discussions over recent weeks have been productive, where we have made good progress on issues such as reducing staff workload and supporting wellbeing. I would like to thank everyone who has participated in these constructive negotiations.”

Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Minister, Laura Anne Jones MS welcomed the postponing of strike action but questioned the Welsh Government’s approach.

She said: “This does beg the question as to why, if the money was available, the offer could not have been made earlier to reduce the uncertainty and stress for parents and pupils.”