The National Union of Teachers (NUT) confirmed during its annual Conference, held 22-26 April in Harrogate, UK, that it will take coordinated action with another national affiliate of EI, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), as part of the struggle over pensions.
Commenting on the passing of the NUT priority motion on pensions, NUT General Secretary, Christine Blower, emphasised the union’s clear message to Government “that teachers will not stand by as their pensions are eroded.”
Blower said: “The Government threatens teachers and all public sector workers with having to pay more for their pensions, work longer and get less in retirement. Today, the NUT conference agreed to reaffirm the NUT determination to defend public sector pensions and, in particular, to hold the Government to agreements made in 2006.”
She added that “the NUT will ballot members for strike action in the summer term,” to help get a fair deal for teachers.
Blower also noted that “the support for this motion, together with the similar motion passed by the ATL conference, demonstrates the strength of feeling across the profession against the Government's plans.”
A walk-out is expected to take place late in June in conjunction with the ATL, followed by further action in September and October.
Under plans, the NUT is set to ballot up to 300,000 members in schools in England and Wales, while the ATL is likely to ballot 80,000.