Members of the teaching union NASUWT have voted in favour of industrial action, it has announced.
The NASUWT strike vote for members in state schools in England drew 88.5% support for strike action and 94.3% support for action short of a strike. The union only just made the threshold for action to be taken forward, with an overall turnout of 51.9%.
The union said it would soon issue details of a “programme of continuous action short of strike action” commencing in September. It added that strike action dates will also be considered, potentially coordinating with other education unions.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said the ballot sent “a strong message to the government and to employers” that teachers wanted a better deal on pay and more action on working hours and workloads.
“Our members have secured the largest mandate for industrial action by the NASUWT in over a decade, exceeding the government’s anti-trade union ballot thresholds.
NASUWT strike vote
Teachers’ pay review body recommends a 6.5% pay increase
“Our members’ goodwill has been taken for granted for far too long. Excessive workload demands have become so debilitating that we have seen record numbers of teachers and headteachers leaving the profession, or reporting anxiety, work-related stress and self-harm because of the pressures of the job.
“No teacher should expect to work in conditions damaging to their health and wellbeing. Ministers cannot continue to wring their hands and do nothing.
“If the government won’t take the action needed to end excessive workload and working hours, we will take action in workplaces across the country to protect our members.”
According to workforce statistics from the Department for Education, the profession lost around 9% of its total workforce in 2022, alongside the retirement of 4,000 teachers. Meanwhile, the number of open teaching vacancies is at a record high, with 2,300 left empty.
The School Teachers’ Review Body, which makes recommendations on pay, duties and working time for teachers, is understood to have suggested a 6.5% pay award for teachers and headteachers.
The NASUWT said this “is the minimum to which our members are entitled”, claiming that this award would be a pay cut in real terms due to high levels of inflation.
A previous ballot on industrial action by the NASUWT failed to meet the required threshold for lawful strike action. Although nine in 10 members voted in favour of strike action in January, the 42% turnout meant this could not be taken forward.
Members of the National Education Union, the largest teaching union, recently held two days of strike action where teachers in England walked out on 5 and 7 July.
The NEU is currently balloting its members for strike action in a vote that closes on 28 July, while ballots by both the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) close on 31 July.
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Strike ballots permitting, teaching unions are expected to target the day of Rishi Sunak’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference, meaning a possible strike on 4 October.
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