Teachers join mass walkout in Britain after decade-long pay squeeze

A general view of a classroom at Oasis Academy South Bank, ahead of expected teacher strikes, in London, Britain, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - London school teacher Lucy Preston will miss her son's fourth birthday on Thursday because she has to work a second job in the evening as a private tutor to make sure she can pay for her childcare and mortgage.

A day earlier, in the hope of earning a pay rise that will give her stretched household budget some relief, the single mother of two will join more than 120,000 other teachers on the picket line.