Let's Make Gove Listen! - Build for National Strike Action on March 26

This post can be downloaded as a Lewisham NUT leaflet

Last year, we took regional strike action to try and stop Michael Gove’s attacks. Teachers marched right across the country because we know that: 

• 68 is too late to retire - and we are having to pay more for the privilege!
• Performance Pay will divide staff and be used to block our pay rises
• Our workload is already too great - but Gove wants to make it worse

Since that strike, even more evidence has emerged as to why these attacks on teachers and education have got to stop:

• 74% of teachers say their morale has got worse under this Government
• Michael Wilshaw has admitted that it’s a ‘national scandal’ that 40% of teachers are forced out of the profession within five years of qualifying

But Michael Gove has refused to listen. He has refused to hold any serious talks with teaching unions to try and resolve our dispute. Instead, he has asked the Review Body to make recommendations which could include:

• NO more 195 day limit on your working year
• NO more 1265 hour limit on your directed hours
• NO more ‘rarely cover’ protection, no guarantee of meaningful PPA time

Gove is on a mission to cut costs by making teachers work longer hours  for less pay and pension. Even more colleagues will leave the profession. That’s not just bad for teachers, that’s bad for children’s education. We must make him think again - we have to build a solid strike on 26 March!

STRIKING TO DEFEND  EDUCATION

Nobody takes strike action lightly, but we have a responsibility to ourselves, our colleagues and  our pupils to make a stand for teachers and education.

Few teachers can afford to easily lose a day’s pay on March 26 - but, if we don’t take action, we stand to lose a whole lot more.

National strike action will hit the headlines and force politicians to take notice. If they don’t act, then they must be warned that more union action is to follow.

The Government will be under more pressure as we approach the General Election. Parents will want to know why we are having to take strike action. Most will rightly blame Gove, not us.

To get our message across, the National NUT has produced a new parents’ leaflet explaining how Government policies are damaging education. Help to get that message out to parents and the public in your area.

BUILD FOR ACTION IN YOUR SCHOOL

• Do  hold a school meeting to encourage everyone to support the action
• Official strike notices will be issued by the National Union - teachers don’t have to tell their Head individually that they will be on strike
• Do attend local NUT meetings - or send in a report - so we know what’s happening in your school  and/or can answer any questions or queries
• Don’t  set work on the day; nobody should be covering your post
• Do make plans to join your local  demonstration or rally on March 26
• Do make plans to get our message to parents - perhaps by agreement with your Head or on the school-gates. Help out with local NUT activities