NUT

UNISON members were given the green light for a ballot on industrial action after rejecting the pay offer from employers.

The offer is below the current inflation rate of 4.2% and less that the increase in average earnings across the economy.

Employer attacks on workers' pay is the main issue at stake.

Teachers in the NUT are walking out over their pay deal which was supposed to be revised when inflation rose, but the government refused: effectively cutting their wages.

Lecturers in over 250 colleges were balloted by UCU. The UCU website states that the the result shows solid support for industrial action: 65.5% of those voting* supported strike action and 86.2% also supported other forms of industrial action short of a strike.

After four years of below-inflation pay increases, up to 200,000 members of one of the biggest UK teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT), are set to strike on April 24th. The membership voted for a one-day walkout. 75% of those voting were in favour of a one-day walkout, with 25% against. Turnout for the vote was 32%.

The unions assert that the report shows a distinct lack of knowledge of the reality in mainstream school and reveals the agenda behind the academy program.

The protestors, including teachers, parents and sports ground users have set up tents on the field with the intention of staying there permanently until the proposal is dropped. Funded by the DfES and private sponsor Andrew Rosenfield, the Academy was approved in January by Brent Council and would sit on what is currently Bridge Road Recreation Ground.

Beginning today, the teachers, members of the NUT union, will be striking every Thursday until February half term. A new salary structure introduced at the school means wage reductions of upto £4,000 for some staff, and no concessions have been offered to make up for the shortfall.

Unison, AMICUS, the Transport and General Workers Union, GMB, FBU and the NUT are amongst the unions involved, in what has been described as potentially the largest walk-out since the general strike of 1926. Talks have been going on for a year around the issue.

The effectively part-privatisation schemes are costing UK taxpayers £5 billion.

Of the 14 academies open long enough to be included in the leagues tables, seven are among the 200 lowest performing schools, based on the proportion of pupils achieving five or more good passes at GCSE.

Pupils at Todmorden High School in Calderdale are affected by the one-day strike by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

The row follows a complete overhaul of the staffing structure at every school in England and Wales.

A union spokesman said negotiations would start again but further strike action could not be ruled out.

'Demonstrate feelings'