Around a quarter of staff at the Department for Education and one sixth of Ofsted employees could strike after a vote in favour of “major industrial action” across the civil service.
It means school inspections, academy conversions and support for school leaders could be disrupted in the coming months.
On Thursday, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), which represents junior civil servants, announced the threshold for action had been met in 126 workplaces.
Unless “substantial proposals” are received from government, the union said its National Executive Committee would agree a programme of “sustained action” at its meeting on November 18.
Action “involving all members” in the areas which meet the legal requirements “would be called to have the maximum effect, including coordinated action with other unions”.
