Teaching unions have announced the date of a one-day strike in the eastern region, as well as plans for a national walkout before Christmas.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NASUWT members in the eastern region will take part in a walkout on October 1, the unions announced today.

The new strikes are the latest move in the campaign by the NUT and the NASUWT over government education reforms.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: 'At the start of the new academic year, the last thing teachers wish to be doing is preparing for further industrial action. It is a great shame that the education secretary has let things get to this stage.

'With pay pensions and working conditions being systematically attacked and an education secretary who refuses to listen or negotiate teachers now however have no other choice.

'Michael Gove has demoralised an entire profession, it is time that he started to listen for the sake of teachers, pupils and education.'

The government has condemned the unions' rolling campaign of walkouts and said it is disruptive to pupils' education.

Mr Gove wrote to both unions in March to say he was willing to meet them to discuss their dispute, but also insisted that the 'direction of travel' on both their key issues was 'fixed'.

Under the government's reforms, due to come into effect from this autumn, teachers' pay will be linked to performance in the classroom - with schools setting salaries rather than following a national framework.

Changes have also been made to public sector pensions.