Hundreds of schools are facing the prospect of disruption after teachers announced strike ballots over cost-of-living allowances.

The National Union of Teachers is demanding that weighting for London staff is more than doubled.

But it says Education Secretary Charles Clarke has already told the School Teachers Review Body, which advises him on pay and conditions, to peg any increase in the capital to inflation.

The STRB is to announce its 2003 pay recommendations next week.

Lack of staff

NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy urged it to increase London weightings "significantly" or face strikes after the next half-term break.

He said: "If that is not the case, further action by NUT members is justified in an attempt to protect the interests of pupils who will be adversely affected by the lack of teachers."

Otherwise, schools in London will continue to lose staff, lured by lower living costs elsewhere, he added.

The NUT is calling for inner and outer London cost of living allowances to rise from �3,105 and �2,043 to �6,111 and �4,500 respectively.

It also wants the "fringe" payment, for outlying boroughs within the M25, to increase from �792 to �2,500.

Graham Lane, Labour education chairman of the Local Government Association, said talks with Local Education Authorities would only happen if teachers were not on strike.

He said: "What we've got to find is proper retention arrangements. That's the key.

"The biggest shortage of teachers is in Essex and that county doesn't pay the London allowance."

Golden handcuffs

He proposed a golden handcuffs-style deal, under which teachers who stayed a minimum time, such as five years, gained a bonus.

However, he failed to give a figure for this.

McAvoy: calling for strike

The NUT staged two one-day strikes in March and November last year.

For the latter, it was joined by members of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers.

At the time of the second strike, Education Secretary Charles Clarke was unmoved.

He said: "Striking is simply not the answer and serves only to damage pupils' education and undermine the teaching profession.

"It does not help their argument in any way at all."

A teacher who started work in London in 1997 had had their pay increased by 50%, he added.

But a poll of 716 primary schools and 53 secondary schools in London last year showed more than one post in 10 was vacant.

Many were keeping going only by using unqualified, temporary and overseas teachers, the National Association of Head Teachers found.