NUT teachers' union set for vote result on strikes

by Nick Grant, NUT national executive member for Outer London (pc)

Members of the NUT union will conclude a national action ballot on Thursday of this week.

The ballot was over attacks on pensions as well as funding cuts and pay restructuring.

The ballot could not be more timely. School governors will be pushed into making redundancies this year by rapidly rising pupil numbers without any more money to spend.

On top of this, education secretary Michael Gove has touted the complete abolition of national pay and conditions by this time next year.

A national executive meeting will discuss the outcome of our ballot on Friday of this week.

We expect large majorities in favour of strikes and action short of a strike. And we hope to coordinate action with the second biggest classroom union—the NASUWT.

Socialist Workers Party members on the NUT’s executive will argue to set a date for a strike in October. We want that to be with as many other public sector unions as possible.

School union groups should meet as soon as possible to organise taking action.