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NASUWT: More industrial action high on the agenda as relentless attacks on teachers continue

NASUWT: More industrial action high on the agenda as relentless attacks on teachers continue

Members of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, will be gathering at the Union’s Annual Conference in Birmingham this weekend amid a background of savage and unnecessary cuts to education provision, increasing job insecurity and relentless Government attacks on teachers’ pay, working conditions and professionalism.

High on the agenda will be the debate on the next phase of the Union’s Standing up for Standards industrial action campaign, which began with a day of strike action on 30 November, followed immediately on 1 December by continuous action short of strike action to enforce teachers’ contractual entitlements.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:

“This Conference will be a referendum on the Coalition Government’s performance so far and it will undoubtedly be found deeply wanting.

"The depth of anger and frustration is evident in the motions balloted by members for debate.

“There has been no respite from the attacks on every aspect of a teacher’s working life and this is inevitably taking its toll.

“An NASUWT survey of over 17,500 teachers conducted last month revealed a depressing picture of concern and demoralisation.

“Over half of teachers said they were seriously considering leaving teaching altogether.

“Almost half of teachers do not believe that their professional opinions are valued.

“Over a third felt that their school buildings were not fit for them to teach in or for pupils to learn in.

“Over a third felt they did not have the resources they need to teach.

“But the most damning indictment of this Government is that 97% felt that this Government’s policies would not raise standards of education.

“In September, teachers will be in the second year of the pay freeze and will have had six months of increased pension contributions, reducing the salary of a new teacher by over £3,000 and an experienced teacher by over £5,500.

“New punitive performance management and capability procedures will also be imposed.

“The continuation of the obsessive pursuit of academisation just adds to the turmoil and completes the conditions for the perfect storm in the Autumn term.

“In the light of this, it is inevitable that consideration of the escalation of our current industrial action will be high on the agenda.

“What other response can there be to a Coalition which is not prepared to engage with the profession and arrogantly presses ahead with ideological policies based more on an irrational contempt for public services and public service workers than doing the best for children and young people.”

 

ENDS

 

 

NASUWT Press Office contacts:

Lena Davies 07867 392 746

Ben Padley 07785 463 119

Notes to editors

The NASUWT’s Annual Conference is being held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham from April 6-9.

A copy of the conference agenda, detailing all the motions to be discussed, is available on request.

The NASUWT’s ‘Big Question’ survey was carried out in March 2012. The UK-wide survey received 17,500 responses from members, 15,000 from England alone.