The National Education Union should ballot teachers over a “fairly significant” period and look to strike in September if its conference green-lights a formal vote this week, its general secretary has said.
But Daniel Kebede suggested industrial action would remain an option even if delegates don’t specifically call for a postal vote. The union’s executive does not need a motion in favour of a formal ballot in order to call one.
My view is if there is a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September
The union’s executive has tabled an emergency motion on pay to the NEU’s conference in Bournemouth this week. It comes after just over 90 per cent of voting members backed strike action in an indicative online ballot, which closed last week. Turnout was 50.3 per cent.
However, the motion does not explicitly call for a formal ballot of members, instead stating that the “strongest use of the ballot at this moment is to serve notice on Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer, that members are prepared to act industrially if they fail to deliver”.
