| Members of the NASUWT have voted by 82% to support strike action to defend their pensions. This was on a 40% turnout. This is the last major union to report its results and means that 3 million public sector workers are lining up for the biggest battle the trade union movement has seen in decades. The union has said regardless of what action is taken on 30 November, its members will take industrial action short of a strike from 1 December. This could mean teachers not working more than 32 and a half hours a week and refusing to carry out administrative tasks such as collecting money, putting up displays and administering exams. Rising costs Teachers and heads are angered by planned government changes to the teachers' pension scheme (TPS) which, they say, will mean teachers working longer, paying more and receiving less when they retire. More than 220,000 teachers took part in the ballot, the first national ballot for industrial action in more than a decade. NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “Members have voted overwhelmingly to reclaim the classroom and their profession in the face of relentless attacks on their working conditions, pensions and jobs. “This emphatic vote demonstrates the commitment of our members to the vitally important job they do in educating the nation’s children and young people. “Teachers have been faced with a rising tide of excessive workload and a series of attacks on their profession, including unjust pension reforms, worsening pay and conditions of service, and increasing job insecurity. They have endured months and months of relentless attacks which are taking their toll on morale and motivation. “Half of all teachers have considered seriously quitting teaching altogether in the last twelve months. With such deep levels of demoralisation, our schools are on the brink of a crisis affecting recruitment and retention. Only the recession is preventing a mass exodus. “The members of the NASUWT have today confirmed that we cannot go on like this. They will be leading the way by embarking on a quiet revolution to put quality education first. Teachers’ conditions of service are inextricably linked to providing the highest standards of education for all pupils. “The members of the NASUWT have voted for industrial action that will be pupil, parent and public friendly. The members of the NASUWT did not rush to take industrial action. However, their patience has been severely tested. The Coalition government needs now to take seriously the concerns voiced by the teachers today – this is a vote that cannot be ignored. “It is a clear endorsement of the NASUWT campaign of Standing up for Standards and the need for the Coalition Government to change course. “From 1 December, NASUWT members will be taking action to reclaim the classroom from the shackles of unnecessary paperwork, bureaucracy and debilitating accountability. “They will be standing up for standards and demonstrating once and for all the importance of teaching. “NASUWT members will also stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all public service workers who have also voted for industrial action on 30 November in the fight for pensions justice. |