A teaching union has said it will be “announcing plans shortly for further balloting of members” after it failed to meet the legal turnout threshold.
Last week, it was revealed that an NASUWT members’ strike would not go ahead, despite 90 per cent voting in favour of strike action in a ballot, owing to a 42 per cent turnout of members in England and Wales.
In order for strike action to be legal, at least 50 per cent of eligible members must vote, with 40 per cent of all eligible members approving the action.
But NASUWT has today said it remains in dispute with the government and “will be campaigning vigorously to ensure the repeal of all anti-trade union laws”.
General secretary of the NASUWT, Dr Patrick Roach, said the union had written to ministers in England and in Wales “to confirm that we remain in dispute over teachers’ pay”.
He said: “The UK has some of the most draconian laws on workers’ rights anywhere, including the imposition of arbitrary industrial action ballot threshold requirements and prohibition on unions balloting members online.
“The NASUWT will be campaigning vigorously to ensure the repeal of all anti-trade union laws. But, no anti-trade union laws are going to stop us from doing whatever it takes to secure a better deal for our members, including by announcing plans shortly for further balloting of members.”
Last week, Tes revealed that the independent body that handles ballot administration had admitted that postal disruption “may have delayed” the delivery of teacher strike ballot papers.
