mary bousted, thanks forjoining me on political thinking.f people asking the question that mary bousted is asking — why don't ministers simply negotiate? i think the answer is in two parts — economics and politics. they're worried that a good pay settlement for one set of workers is a good pay settlement for millions of workers. and they don't want to set a precedent that they think might undermine the effort to curb inflation. politics, because to some extent, tory ministers want to portray labour as the friend of the striker and want to portray themselves as tough enough to withstand calls for more and more public spending, tough enough to take the right decisions for the economy. one day, of course, someone will have to blink. thanks for watching. hello there. part two of the weekend looking much brighter than part one. we had a lot of cloud around on saturday. today feels very different. lots of sunshine around, but feeling a little bit chillier than what we've been used to. in fact, temperatures will be closer to the seasonal norm for t

this is mary bousted of the national education union. >> teachers are striking because there have beenover the last 12 years, really catastrophic long-term decline in their pay. teachers have lost 13% over that period. in real terms, that is a huge amount to lose. that is causing with recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. amy: a number of students joined their teachers on the street, including 10-year-old issa yeboah-asante from london. >> who is suffering fm our teachers not having ough money to be paid, so i think i should miss some school because i believe teachers should have their funding. amy: in iran, a couple who posted a video of themselves dancing in the street has been sentenced to five yes in prison each according to local reports. 21-year-old astiyazh haghighi and her fiancÉ 22-year-old amir mohammad ahmadi were arrested after posting a video on instagram of themselves dancing in front of the azadi tower in downtown tehran. in theideo, astiyazh's hair was uncovered. the video was posted in november as nationwide protests rocked iran. the republican-controlled ho

mary bousted. earlyi spoke to the former _ negotiate. mary bousted. greening about the impact of the strikes and next steps for the government. i next steps for the government. i think the reality is it has been difficult — think the reality is it has been difficult to see school funding keep up difficult to see school funding keep up with— difficult to see school funding keep up with the pace of inflation, and that's— up with the pace of inflation, and that's also— up with the pace of inflation, and that's also impacted teacher pay. in recent— that's also impacted teacher pay. in recent years you have seen the government respond to that by trying to help _ government respond to that by trying to help the pay of new starter teachers _ to help the pay of new starter teachers rise faster. but actually, in the _ teachers rise faster. but actually, in the round you have seen teachers further _ in the round you have seen teachers further up _ in the round you have seen teachers further up the career ladder in middle — further up the career ladder in middle

mary bousted. joining me now is our chief political correspondent, nick eardley.lution between now and that next day for the industrial action in england that mary bousted. was talking about. and what did you make of what gillian keegan, the education secretary, had to say this morning? she said the government, after 13 years of being in government, we have the highest spending in schools ever, was what said. i spending in schools ever, was what said. ~' . ., . , ., spending in schools ever, was what said. ~' . ., . ., said. i think the chances of a breakthrough _ said. i think the chances of a breakthrough imminently - said. i think the chances of a | breakthrough imminently are said. i think the chances of a - breakthrough imminently are pretty slim, actually, because you also had the education secretary say that the government can't afford big pay rises because it is worried it would make inflation worse. that is a contested argument, but is one that ministers continue to make. they keep saying they are prepared to talk about issues like conditions and workload

let's now speak to mary bousted, joint general secretary of the neu. morning.ially closed.2 ., ., , ., ., ., closed. what does that mean for arents closed. what does that mean for parents who _ closed. what does that mean for parents who may _ closed. what does that mean for parents who may be _ closed. what does that mean for parents who may be watching i closed. what does that mean forl parents who may be watching this morning, hoping to send their children to school, and hoping that if they are sending their children to school, they might be getting lessons? 2 �* , ~2 , to school, they might be getting lessons? 2 �* , , ., lessons? well, we're very sorry that arents lessons? well, we're very sorry that parents have — lessons? well, we're very sorry that parents have been _ lessons? well, we're very sorry that parents have been so _ lessons? well, we're very sorry that| parents have been so inconvenienced by the strike action. we know that for many of them it will be very difficult to get childcare. but we are also receiving many more messages from parents wh