The largest teaching union is planning a two-day strike at the end of January as it steps up its demands for better pay and working conditions in primary schools.

The AOb said a straw poll of around 6,000 members indicated that there was around 90% support for the stoppage on January 30 and 31, which follows a one-day strike on November 6. On that occasion around 3,500 schools nationwide closed for the day.

The previous strike went ahead after the AOb rejected a one-off deal worth €460 mln to finance a pay rise and reduce the workload in schools. The union said it would only accept ‘structural’ changes to pay and conditions.

Eugenie Stolk, chair of the AOb, said: ‘The members have spoken very clearly. Their readiness to take action is enormous. Education needs additional structural money. Until that money appears we will continue to take action.’

In a separate development, more than 5,000 children in Amsterdam are facing a week off school as teachers protest against shortages of personnel.

The 16 schools belong to the Stichting Westelijke Tuinsteden group, which currently has 20 full-time equivalent vacancies. All the schools are in the Nieuw-West district of the capital and are set to close for a week from December 9.