Teachers taking action over pensions

THIS YEAR’S NUT conference passed important resolutions calling for co-ordinated strikes over pensions and backed calls for a one day public sector general strike. Teachers will now join with hundreds of thousands of other public sector workers on strike on 30 June in defence of their pensions.

Teachers are now no longer able to retire at 60, and the Tories are looking at upping the age from 65 to 67. They are being asked to increase their pensions contributions by an extra £45 per month, but this won’t go anywhere near the pension pot.
But with Education Minister Michael Gove’s enormous expansion of city academies, free schools, and cuts, this is just the tip of the iceberg – and teachers are furious.
At their recent national conference, the National Union of Teachers discussed a motion condemning the government’s entire economic and political strategy.
“The rush to cut public spending is motivated by long-standing Tory support for privatisation and profiteering rather than any real concern for the efficiency or quality of public services.”
They also discussed launching a political and industrial campaign against city academies and free schools, that are not motivated by “raising standards” but are aimed at “privatising and deregulating state education.”
In response they aim to “encourage and support NUT members to take strike action, where possible with other unions, against proposals to convert to academy status.”
Presently in terms of national action, pensions is now the cutting edge of working class resistance, it has the potential to unite the education sector in a Britain-wide strike. The Association of Teachers and Lectures (ATL) are mandated to ballot for strikes, and the NASUWT looks as if it could follow the same path.
One motion stated that the union should “organise coordinated ballots for discontinuous action should that prove necessary”, and that it will “organise national and local demonstrations, rallies and public meetings in conjunction with other unions and pensioners organisations.”
The big chance to beat the government is if the education unions not only unite with all other public sector unions under attack, but prepare for the sustained strike action that can bring the Tories down.