The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has called on the Prime
Minister to intervene to find a resolution to the current dispute
on teachers’ pay, workload and working time.
As the NASUWT’s ballot of state funded school members in England
opens, the Union has written to calling on him to intervene
following the refusal of the Secretary of State for Education to
enter into any further negotiations or dialogue with teacher and
school leader unions.
The NASUWT’s industrial action ballot for state-funded schools in
England opens today (5 June) and closes on July 10. A ballot of
sixth form college members opened last month and will close on
June 12.
The ballots are the result of the failure of the Government to
agree the NASUWT's demand for a fully-funded restorative pay
award for all teachers employed in state-funded schools and sixth
form colleges in England, and to resolve the issue of excessive
workload and long working hours.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General
Secretary, said:
“Throughout this dispute we have been clear with the Secretary of
State that we are willing to engage anytime, anyplace and
anywhere to discuss the issues of pay, workload and working time
and to try to find a resolution to this dispute. However, it has
now been many months since the Minister last engaged with us and
as a result of her silence and refusal to talk we have been left
with no other option than to ballot for industrial action.
“It is a dereliction of duty for the Secretary of State to
withdraw from any efforts to resolve this now long-running
dispute. We have an escalating recruitment and retention crisis
in teaching and school leadership as a result of the year-on-year
erosion of pay and spiralling workloads and working hours. This
is having a direct impact on the quality of children’s education.
“If the Secretary of State is not willing or able to engage with
us, then it is incumbent on the Prime Minister to intervene to
find a resolution that will address the mounting crisis in the
profession and which enables us to avoid industrial action and
the inevitable disruption that will bring to schools and colleges
in the autumn term.”
Notes to editors
A copy of the letter from the NASUWT to the Prime Minister is
attached
