Since June of last year, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has already taken part in two strikes in protest of a freeze on teachers’ pay, cuts in pensions and what they perceive as being a move towards privatisation of state schools. Members voted unanimously on Monday 9 April, to take whatever measures needed to contest government policy that has already frozen pay for two years running and will further cap rises for the next two years at 1pc.
Meanwhile, while NUT was meeting in Torquay for their annual conference, NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers) were also meeting in Birmingham and this union came to similar resolutions as NUT. Members are asking that the School Teachers’ Review Body do something to promote pay rises based on performance. Both unions are angry with government’s focus on making pay rates reliant on local areas rather than maintaining the national rate.
Movement in the direction of localised pay is being highly contested and teachers’ unions are vowing to strengthen industrial action against government. They are addressing the respective heads of their unions encouraging strong industrial action to make their intentions perfectly clear. Whilst there are a number of protests under consideration, a national strike is within the realm of possibility.
At the heart of the issue at the moment is the fact that a movement in the direction of free schools and academies is totally unacceptable to them. This would mean that salaries would no longer be standardised. They believe that government is looking to reduce pay rates even after two years without a rise and two further years with a miniscule increase in salary of 1%, as mentioned above.
Government appears to be acting against the wishes of parents and teachers which is why efforts are escalating to stop state schools from being turned into academies. The Department of Education gave a warning that strikes would not be beneficial to anyone involved yet teachers unions are adamant that they want to be heard.
