The NASUWT union will re-ballot teachers for industrial action after members voted to reject the government’s pay offer.
At its annual conference in Glasgow, the union announced 87 per cent of respondents to a consultative survey had voted to reject the offer of a £1,000 one-off payment this year and 4.3 per cent rise for most teachers from September.
The union said 52.4 per cent of its 130,000 eligible members in England voted in the survey.
NASUWT is putting the secretary of state on notice of our intention to ballot our members for industrial action
NASUWT also asked members if they were willing to vote for strike action to achieve a “fair pay award”, 77 per cent of respondents said they would do so.
The union’s executive has met “to confirm that the union will ballot members in schools and sixth form colleges in England for industrial action”.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT’s general secretary said his union was “putting the secretary of state for education on notice of our intention to ballot our members for industrial action”.
Summer term strikes could be on the cards
Speaking to journalists in Glasgow, Roach said the ballot would take place “pretty soon”, and that strikes in the summer term “could be” on the cards.
Asked if NASUWT would co-ordinate action with other unions, he said they were “always looking to co-ordinate wherever we can”.
“The government’s pay offer failed to come close to addressing the concerns over pay and working conditions of teachers and this has rightly been rejected by our members.
“Gillian Keegan has said that she is willing to negotiate and to listen to the profession. She must now demonstrate that she means what she says by getting back around the negotiating table to find a resolution to our dispute.”
He added that the onus was “now on the government to come forward with a fully-funded pay offer that will be acceptable to the profession”.
It comes after the National Education Union and leaders’ unions ASCL and the NAHT also voted to reject the offer by large margins.
The NEU has already announced further strikes on April 27 and May 2, and its conference voted this week to timetable a further three dates in late June to early July.
A DfE spokesperson said the decision to reject the offer “will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today”.
“After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that unions are re-balloting for more strike action.”
Your thoughts