But if action short of strike action doesn’t persuade schools to think again, then the NUT has made clear that school strike requests are likely to be supported - and that strikes will be financially sustained by the union as well.
The action is part of our national dispute with Gove, so school groups don’t have to be formally balloted again. National unions just have to give a minimum of seven days notice of the start of strike action. A victory over the withdrawal of a threatened 'mock inspection' was won in a Tower Hamlets school after notice was given - without needing to strike.
As explained in an earlier post on this blog, http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/teachers-vote-to-escalate-to-strike.html, NUT and NASUWT members at Deptford Green School in Lewisham have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action if their Head refuses to withdraw plans that could mean eight or more classroom observations a year.
Staff in an Academy in Buckinghamshire and at Stratford Academy in Newham have also voted for strike action in response to threats to dock their pay if they stick to the union action guidelines.
Incredibly, at Stratford, staff were told that they had to inform management individually that they were not going to participate in action short of strike action - any staff who did not do so were told they would be deducted 15% of their pay!
To this serious threat, the NUT has given a serious response and served notice that members will strike for one day next week, (Thursday 25th October), two days in the week after half term (Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th November) and three days the week after that. The action will go ahead if the management does not withdraw its threats to deduct pay.
It's a big step for teachers in all these schools to have to take - but it is the right one. The only way we can stand up to such bullying is by threatening to escalate our action to strike action.
But members in these schools need to know that, if they strike, they have the support of NUT members around the country. So keep sending in your messages of support to the NUT reps at:
Academy in Bucks: Chris Butcher
kiwichrisbutcher@googlemail.com
Stratford Academy: Steve Charles
stevec4151@aol.com
Deptford Green: Karen Wheeler
karen_wheeler@hotmail.co.uk
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