NASUWT warns of possible industrial action - including strike

Demand for immediate Court of Inquiry after months of delay

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers has written to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) warning of a possible ballot of their members for industrial action.

The union says action will be considered unless their request for a Court of Inquiry over the teachers’ pay award is actioned without further delay.
 
The NASUWT declared a formal dispute with DESC over the pay award six months ago and in April the union and DESC agreed to invoke a Court of Inquiry to attempt to settle the dispute.

The NASUWT followed this up by writing formally to the Department in May requesting a Court of Inquiry be convened.

Acting General Secretary of the NASUWT, Chris Keates, says that contrary to statements made by the DESC, the focus of the NASUWT’s dispute is not over the interpretation of its pay policy.

He points out the Union is in dispute over the recent pay awards which have continued the significant erosion of teachers’ pay, which he says has declined by over one-third, in real terms, since 2010.
 
Mr Keates says unless there is immediate progress, the NASUWT’s National Action Committee will have no option but to consider a formal ballot of members for industrial action, up to and including strike action.

The Union also says that the DESC’s threat to withhold pay progression to primary teachers, because headteachers are taking industrial action, is "totally unacceptable" and any attempt to prevent their members’ pay progression will be robustly opposed and would result in "yet another" dispute lodged against the Department.