The country’s largest education union will campaign in Labour MPs’ constituencies and make them “pay a high political price” if the pay offer is not improved, a union chief has warned.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said they “stand ready” to take strike action if the Government’s final pay and funding offer is not increased.
In his speech to the union’s annual conference, Mr Kebede said it was “indefensible” for a Labour Government to cut school funding and he added “we expect better”.
Delegates at the NEU conference voted to launch a formal strike ballot if the final outcome of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) process “remains unacceptable” – or if the Government does not announce real-terms funding increases in the spending review in June.
Addressing delegates, the union chief said: “If the STRB recommendation is not above inflation, if it is not a pay award that takes a step towards a correction in pay, if it does not address the crisis in recruitment and retention, and unless it is fully funded, then we stand ready to act industrially.
“We will make Labour MPs pay a high political price through our campaigning in their constituencies, with our parents, across the country.”
Mr Kebede called for “salary caps” for chief executives of academy trusts in a bid to end “greed”.
On Thursday, he said: “While schools struggle to afford basic resources, whilst support staff are being paid poverty wages, and whilst teachers are leaving the profession in droves, some academy CEOs are cashing in.
“This is not just an injustice, it is a national scandal.”
During his speech, the union chief spoke about the television drama Adolescence, which examines so-called incel (involuntary celibate) culture.
He said: “It is true that the representation of schools and teachers was neither fair nor accurate, but as a father, as an educator, I felt fearful for my son and his friends, both boys and girls.”
Mr Kebede told delegates: “Across our schools, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in misogyny that is infecting classrooms, playgrounds, and online spaces.
“Teachers and support staff are reporting a problematic trend where sexist, degrading ideas towards women and girls are being normalised amongst young people.
“Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for misogynistic content and at the same time, the widespread availability of violent and degrading pornography is shaping young people’s perceptions of sex and relationships.”
He added that a “safeguarding crisis” is being “fuelled by tech companies”.
Mr Kebede said: “We will fight for regulation to force social media platforms to take real action against algorithms pushing harmful ideas to our children.
“The fight against online harm is a fight for the soul of our schools and society and it is one we must win.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “With school staff, parents and young people working so hard to turn the tide on school attendance, any move towards industrial action by teaching unions would be indefensible.
“Following a 5.5% pay award in a hugely challenging fiscal context, I would urge NEU to put children first.”
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