School leaders’ union NAHT has today (Monday, 15 May) opened its
strike ballot after members rejected the government’s most recent
offer on pay and working conditions.
Ballot papers are this week being sent to the homes of NAHT
members asking one simple question: ‘Are you prepared to take
part in industrial action consisting of a strike’?
The union’s ballot is open until 31 July, with education unions
having agreed to coordinate strike action in the autumn term if
it is supported by their members and the dispute cannot be
resolved. Members have to vote by post by law.
The ballot is being held over four issues: pay and funding;
recruitment and retention; workload and wellbeing; and inspection
- specifically the impact this has on school leaders’ mental
health and wellbeing.
In April, 90% of NAHT members taking part in a consultative
ballot voted to reject the government’s offer. 92% said they did
not have headroom in their budget to even afford the proposal of
a below-inflation pay award for education staff which included a
one-off £1,000 payment for 2022/23, and a partially funded 4.5%
pay uplift for 2023/24.
Members were also asked if they would be prepared to vote for and
take industrial action and 78% said they would be.
NAHT general secretary, Paul Whiteman, said: “After our members
overwhelmingly rejected the previous inadequate offer, which was
not properly funded, we appealed to the government to get back
round the table.
“So far, we have had no further meaningful talks, and instead the
government has dropped its offer of a £1,000 cost of living
payment as an apparent punishment for not accepting its deal.
“We have been left with no other choice but to seek this mandate
for industrial action.
“Nobody working in education wants to have to go on strike. But
it seems this is the only way to open the government’s eyes to
the mess our education system is in, and the recruitment and
retention crisis fuelled by years of real-terms pay and funding
cuts, unsustainable workload and high-stakes inspections which
harm staff wellbeing.”
NAHT’s membership endorsed a vote by its National Executive
Committee to ballot for strike action at the union’s annual
conference.
