For the first time in its history, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is to hold a formal strike ballot in England over school funding, the erosion of teachers’ and leaders’ pay and conditions, and the staff shortages it is causing.
The union represents around 20,000 leaders mainly in secondary schools and further education colleges. The ASCL said it had tried to resolve the matter through negotiation but that the government’s pay offer, which 87% of its members rejected earlier this month, was “completely inadequate”.
Its executive committee met yesterday and unanimously decided to move to a formal ballot for strike action. The ASCL strike ballot will be held during the summer term and, if members vote for strike action, this would take place in the autumn.
ASCL strike ballot
Fourth teachers’ union rejects ‘contemptuous’ pay offer
Geoff Barton, general secretary, said: “ASCL has never before formally balloted at a national level and this is clearly a very significant step.
“The fact that we have reached this point reflects the desperate situation regarding inadequate funding, long-term pay erosion, teacher shortages, and the intransigence of a government which we can only conclude does not value the education workforce or recognise the severe pressures facing the sector.
“We have made every effort to resolve this matter through negotiations prior to reaching this point. Unfortunately, the government’s offer has failed to sufficiently address pay and conditions, and, critically, did not provide enough funding for even the meagre proposal it put forward.”
All four education unions – the ASCL, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the NASUWT and the National Education Union (NEU) – involved in last month’s pay negotiations with the Department for Education have rejected the offer. The government has said that the issue of pay will now revert to the school teachers’ pay review body.
The government had made a pay offer of a £1,000 payment for 2022-23, on top of last September’s pay increase and an average 4.5% pay rise for 2023-24.
The NEU has called more strikes in England on 27 April and 2 May. Almost all (98%) of its members rejected the proposal. NEU members have also voted to strike on three more days in June and July, with the dates still to be set.
The ASCL strike ballot comes after the NASUWT said it was balloting its members for industrial action. The national executive of the NAHT is meeting to discuss balloting its members for industrial action following a consultative ballot which resulted in 78% of members saying they would be prepared to take action.
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Barton added that the government had left ASCL with no option but to ballot for strikes: “This action is taken as a last resort and with a heavy heart, but we cannot accept the continued damage to education caused by government neglect and complacency.”
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