Keep up the pressure for a serious fight!

Sheila Caffrey, NEU Executive member, personal capacity

Education is a difficult place to work in right now. Funding has been decimated, leading to larger classes, fewer resources, and staff cuts and redundancies.  Pile on the increased workload, longer hours and pressure created from above, and it is not surprising that about 150,000 teachers in schools and early years settings voted in a National Education Union (NEU) indicative ballot to strike: demanding an above-inflation pay offer that would be fully funded, rather than expecting schools to stump up the cash.

The NEU national conference in April voted to move to a formal ballot, particularly focussing on funding, with 80% in favour.

However, when the National Executive of the union met at the start of May, it was clear that many of the officers and Exec members are nervous about striking. They don’t have confidence in the members, and don’t know how to provide a motivating lead to show education workers that we are determined to fight and win. 

Three times, the general secretary, Daniel Kebede, has brought proposals to Executive meetings to move away from a formal ballot. At two previous meetings this was over-turned. But at the May meeting, the majority of the Exec voted to ‘postpone’ any potential ballot until the autumn term. It was also agreed that if the leaked 4% pay offer turned out to be true, the ballot would focus on funding rather than pay.

Socialist Party members on the Executive voted against this and were clear in our opposition to any stalling, which could lose momentum gained from the indicative ballot and send the wrong signal to the government about our willingness to fight.

Pay and funding

We also argued that pay should remain part of the ballot. With over a decade of below-inflation pay rises, teachers have been losing money each year, and the battle needs to be on to recoup some of this. 

We voted for an amendment to move to a ballot in June.  Although this would mean that the ballot would run over the summer holidays, at least it would make it clear to government that we would be willing to fight, which could impact on what they offer us.

Once again, the NEU Left grouping, which currently is the majority on the Exec, is divided and unable to offer a clear lead, with the SWP (Socialist Workers Party) publicly arguing against the Exec decision, despite being part of the NEU Left and having campaigned for its candidates in the recent Exec elections. At the Exec meeting, they initially argued to start the ballot in June, but then co-proposed the delay to the autumn with other NEU Left members.

Socialist Party members will build for the best campaign possible. We will encourage members to be vocal in their opposition to any below-inflation pay offer, but also to continue to fight for pay restoration, along with other workers across the public sector.

Funding is a must. Not just the funding for pay offers, but also a genuine increase in funding that allows children and young people to access the education they need. Socialist Party members will continue to fight to stand up to Starmer, for an education system that will allow children and young people to learn, grow and flourish, with education workers who feel supported and are able to continue to jobs that they love.