History made as unions unite to take action, leader says

The NUT and NASUWT have announced plans for a series of strikes building up to a national walkout before Christmas.

The unions put a list of demands to Education Secretary Michael Gove, calling on him to suspend the introduction of performance-related pay, due to be brought in later this year, and to publish an evaluation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

He wrote to the NUT and the NASUWT to say he was willing to meet the unions to discuss their dispute but also insisting the “direction of travel” on both of their key issues was “fixed”.

Yesterday in her closing speech to the NUT’s annual conference general secretary Christine Blower described the action as a “significant moment.”

She said: “The fact that we are entering this fight alongside our colleagues in the NASUWT is genuinely historic.

“It is a fight we need to win. It may be a long campaign but has so much more chance of winning because, together, with the 
NASUWT we are the vast majority of classroom teachers. Joint action will impact in all schools across England and Wales.

Alongside the NASUWT, we will be on strike in the North West of England on June 27 to protect our pay, pensions and conditions.

“I want to thank those divisions that have risen so brilliantly to the challenge of organising this phase of the campaign.

“This will be followed as you know with further regional action and a national strike before Christmas.

“The debate on Saturday showed that we are all behind this campaign. The rallies we have planned give us a real opportunity to show widespread community support for teachers and opposition to Michael Gove.”

As part of the “stepping up of activity and action”, she said it was vital to see rank and file activity 
everywhere. “Rank and file members have ideas and enthusiasm. There’s a lot we can do from Head Office and the regions and Wales, but so much you can all do in your divisions, associations and schools.

“Our fight on pay and conditions, as well as pensions, is wholly justified, but so is the national campaign for education to win back real professional autonomy and a curriculum that children deserve.”