Union talks with the Department for Education about Minimum
Service Levels (MSL) for striking workers on strike days in
education settings ended today. They have concluded without an
agreement, which now opens the door to a consultation process by
the Department for Education.
Commenting after the meeting, Daniel Kebede, General
Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The attempt to impose further restrictions on our democratic
freedoms is shameful. This Government wants to be tough on
strikes, but not on the causes of strikes.
“We have an education system on its knees. A deep recruitment and
retention crisis, rocketing workloads and falling pay. And thanks
to underfunding we have the largest primary class sizes in Europe
and secondary class sizes are the highest since records began
more than forty years ago. This is clearly unsustainable, but the
Government is indifferent to the enormous challenges facing
schools and colleges. On the evidence of last week’s Autumn
Statement, they have given up.
"The attempt at dialogue was never meaningful. It was
disingenuous and cynical. The end of talks was briefed out to the
press by Number 10 before the talks ended. Sunak always intended
to implement this draconian legislation without consent or
mandate.
“The Government cannot stand the fact that the NEU passed the
highly restrictive thresholds for strike action not once but
twice during the recent pay dispute. They now seek to make the
legislation even more severe.
“The proposed MSLs are an affront to those who democratically and
legally vote for strike action, forcing a large proportion to go
into work on strike days. This is a fundamental attack on the
democratic freedoms and rights of school staff. It also
demonstrates the Government’s incredible lack of understanding of
the provision that schools already ensure is in place for
students on strike days.
“This is a policy not becoming of a modern, liberal democracy. We
already have some of the most restrictive trade union legislation
in Europe. In 2015 Conservative MP said parts of the Trade Union
Bill were more fitting of Franco’s Spain.
“MSL legislation is being rushed through. The time period of just
9 weeks – including the Christmas break - for consultation on the
draft regulations is completely inadequate given the number of
workplaces and employers covered by these proposals. The legal
measures which Keegan wants to impose are unworkable and show a
startling ignorance of school settings.
“The proposals have already been questioned by the UN’s
International Labour Organisation and make this government an
outlier internationally. This will only make the resolution of
disputes more difficult and cause further disruption in schools.”
