THE NAHT school head teachers union executive has announced that it will move to a formal industrial action ballot after a 90% membership vote against accepting the Tory government’s miserable pay offer.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has become the third union to formally reject the offer.
The union announced yesterday morning that 90 per cent of voting members had rejected the offer of a £1,000 one-off payment this year and 4.3 per cent pay rise for most teachers and leaders next year, on a turnout of 64 per cent.
‘The government must now come back to the table and solve this dispute. To do otherwise would be to stick two fingers up to a dedicated profession,’ said the NAHT.
In an online consultative ballot, 78 per cent said they would be prepared to vote for and take industrial action, up to and including strike action, if the offer was rejected.
It comes after both the National Education Union (NEU) and Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) voted to reject the offer. The NEU has already timetabled two more days of strike action.
Of NAHT members who responded to the ballot, 92 per cent said the offer was unaffordable, with not enough headroom in their budgets to fund the rise next year.
The government has said it believes a 4 per cent rise is affordable next year, and has pledged to fund the remainder of the proposed offer in 2023-24, as well as the £1,000 payment this year.
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, heralded the ‘conclusive response to the government’s offer. It has been judged inadequate and unaffordable.
‘Our members do not recognise the government’s calculations on the affordability of the offer, with the vast majority of head teachers and school business leaders saying they could not pay the rise from their existing budgets.
‘This is a very clear stumbling block and one the government must listen to and solve if we hope to bring this dispute to an end.’
Whiteman warned last week that if the offer was rejected, it was ‘clear that industrial action by NAHT members will be necessary’.
The union’s executive will now meet to discuss next steps ‘including a formal ballot on industrial action’.
‘The government must now come back to the table and solve this dispute. To do otherwise would be to stick two fingers up to a dedicated profession whilst at the same time turning their backs on children.
‘The response from the members of all the education unions has been overwhelming – the government can be in no doubt of the strength of feeling of the education profession or their determination to stand up for themselves and for their pupils.
‘We are calling on the government to match that ambition and invest seriously in the future of education in this country.’
