Teaching union in strike ballot

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), seen as the most moderate teaching union, is asking around 80,000 members to cast their votes.

ATL is the second teaching union to begin balloting members over the Government’s public sector pension changes. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) started its ballot on Tuesday.

The unions say the Government’s changes will leave teachers working longer, paying more and receiving less when they retire.

The last time ATL took national industrial action was in May 1979, over changes to teachers’ pay. On that occasion members held an afternoon of union branch meetings.

The union has never taken national strike action before.

ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “Balloting our members to strike is a last resort, but the Government has given us no choice.

“The Government has totally failed to produce any justification for the changes to teachers’ and lecturers’ pensions and has consistently failed to change any of its plans despite months of discussions at all levels - between ministers and the TUC and between ministers and the education unions.

“ATL is not a militant union, but even our members are furious. They feel betrayed by the Government which has broken its deal with them – the deal to work for less than many comparable degree-level professions, but receive a modest (average £10,000 a year) and secure pension.”

Both the ATL and NUT ballots will close on June 14, and action, if approved, could take place later that month. If it goes ahead, millions of children at virtually every school in England and Wales could be affected by strikes.

The National Association of Head Teachers has also agreed to ballot members over pensions.