Teachers across England and Wales will begin a national
strike today, leaving thousands of schools facing
disruption and closure in fierce row over pay, pensions
and teaching conditions.
The strike, led by the National Union of Teachers, will
cause disruptions to some 10,000 schools during the
one-day walkout.
The NUT has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with the
Education Secretary Michael Gove for two years. They
are particularly incensed by government plans to
introduce performance-related pay by giving
headteachers the power to set their own staff’s salaries
.
A proposed one-day national walkout in November by
the two unions was called off in the wake of talks with
the government and the NASUWT has decided not to
take part in this latest round of strike action.
Speaking ahead of the walkout, NUT deputy general
secretary Kevin Courtney said the strike was a “last
resort” and the union wanted Mr Gove to change his
policies on school accountability and the working
conditions teachers face.
“We have been trying to persuade Michael Gove to
change his mind, he is unwilling,” he said.
“Michael Gove’s policies are exhausting and
demoralising teachers and that’s very bad and disruptive
for education.
“Thousands of good people are leaving the profession,
we are building up to a teacher shortage and our
children deserve energetic and enthusiastic teachers not
demoralised and exhausted ones.”
Mr Gove has written to seven union bosses ahead of the
action, setting out the progress he believed had been
made in an ongoing programme of talks between the
DfE and these teaching unions.
In the letter, he said he wanted to underline his
commitment to the talks process, adding that he was
“encouraged by reports from the meetings so far”.
But the NUT said the letter demonstrated how little
progress had been made in the talks.
“Mr Gove’s letter shows how little he listens to the
concerns of teachers and how little progress has been
made in the talks process. His letter confirms why we
are right to strike,” Christine Blower, General Secretary
of the NUT said.
The walkout has been condemned by the Department
for Education (DfE), who said the NUT is taking action
that “will disrupt parents’ lives, hold back children’s
education and damage the reputation of the profession”.
“Parents will struggle to understand why the NUT is
pressing ahead with strikes over the government’s
measures to let heads pay good teachers more,” it said.
“They called for talks to avoid industrial action, we
agreed to their request, and talks have been taking
place weekly.
“Despite this constructive engagement with their
concerns, the NUT is taking action that will disrupt
parents’ lives, hold back children’s education and
damage the reputation of the profession.”
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