School leaders union to vote over strike action for first time over pay and staff shortages

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) will hold a formal ballot for school leaders to vote on strike action for the first time in the union’s history.

Senior elected members of the union decided to ask its members whether they want to stage walkouts “over the school funding crisis, the erosion of teacher and leader pay and conditions, and consequent staff shortages which are undermining the education system”.

If members opt to strike, the union said action would be expected to take place during the autumn term of the next school year.

ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton said: “ASCL has never before formally balloted at a national level and this is clearly a very significant step. The fact that we have reached this point reflects the desperate situation regarding inadequate funding, long-term pay erosion, teacher shortages, and the intransigence of a government which we can only conclude does not value the education workforce or recognise the severe pressures facing the sector.”

Other unions have already held industrial action this year. In February, around 200,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU) in the north of England took part in a three-day strike, with two further strike dates planned for 27 April and 2 May.

Mr Barton continued to say that the ASCL had made “every effort to resolve this matter through negotiations” but the government’s offer has “failed to sufficiently address pay and conditions, and, critically, did not provide enough funding for even the meagre proposal it put forward”.

A date for the ballot is yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be held in the summer term.

The prime minister’s spokesperson said on Thursday that they are “concerned” about the impact strikes will have on children’s education, which has “already been significantly impacted during the global pandemic”.

“We would not want to see that exacerbated by unnecessary strike action,” they said.

The rejected offer from the government included a £1,000 payment for the current school year – on top of an average 5.4% rise last September – plus an average 4.5% rise next year.

Other unions that rejected the offer include the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

The NAHT could also hold a formal ballot after 78% of its members said they would be prepared to vote on industrial action.