In a joint press conference taking place today (Fri 28 Apr) at
school leaders’ union NAHT’s Annual Conference in Telford, the
general secretaries of all four education unions will announce
that they intend to co-ordinate their unions’ industrial action
moving forward.
In an unprecedented show of unity, NAHT’s Paul Whiteman, NEU’s
Kevin Courtney, ASCL’s Geoff Barton and NASUWT’s Dr Patrick Roach
will speak together about their plans to continue the dispute
with Government over pay, school funding, and workload and
conditions.
This comes as NEU members take strike action on Thursday 27 April
and Tuesday 2 May, and ASCL, NASUWT and NAHT announce they will
ballot their members on industrial action this summer.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said: “This is an unprecedented show of solidarity from the
education unions. It sends a clear signal to government that our
dispute is not going away. Any illusions they may have had that
we would be put off by their derisory first offer and refusal to
continue to negotiate should be shattered. School staff will not
put up with eroded pay, squeezed school funding and unbearable
workload and working conditions any longer – and we are fully
united together in fighting for change.”
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of NEU, said: “In washing
her hands of any responsibility for resolving the teacher pay and
funding dispute the Education Secretary has united the teaching
profession in its determination to not accept the poor offer
currently on the table. Investment in this generation of
children’s education, with professionals shown the value and
respect they deserve, should be a priority. Parents and the
education profession will be in no doubt that if further
industrial action needs to be taken the blame for this will lie
squarely at the Government's door.”
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “Teachers and
school leaders across the profession have collectively delivered
an overwhelming rejection of the Government’s contemptuous pay
offer. Teachers know they are worth more than the Government has
offered and are determined to continue their fight for a better
deal. The Education Secretary needs to recognise that the way to
resolve this dispute it by getting back around the table. The
Government must negotiate a deal that is acceptable to our
members or deal with the consequences.”
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said: “We have made every effort to resolve this
matter through other means. Sadly, the government’s refusal to
reopen negotiations after their offer was comprehensively
rejected has left us with no other option than to ballot for
strike action. It is clear that all unions feel the same way and
we are committed to working with them to fight for fairer pay,
improved funding, manageable workloads and other changes that are
needed to ensure schools have the capacity to provide the level
of education that children and young people deserve.”
