The NUT teaching union has issued the education secretary with an ultimatum to prevent strike action from taking place next week.

In a letter to Nicky Morgan today, the classroom union makes “one last appeal” to avoid widespread disruption in schools on Tuesday.  

Last week, teachers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a national strike against funding cuts, deregulation of pay and academisation.

The NUT’s three conditions to Ms Morgan for cancelling the strike are:

• Fund schools sufficiently to cover the growing staff costs imposed on them, such as increased National Insurance contributions.
• Tell academies they must at least have regard to national terms and conditions.
• Promise meaningful talks to look for a full resolution of the dispute.

Action ‘not taken lightly’

The strike is due to take place across the country on 5 July - the same day as the KS2 Sats results are returned to schools - after 91.7 per cent of participants in the union’s ballot voted in favour of taking action.

The letter, sent from acting general secretary Kevin Courtney, stresses: “Teachers do not take strike action lightly. It is regrettable, therefore, that we are now a week away from a teachers’ strike.

“The National Union of Teachers would prefer to make progress in talks but have to proceed with industrial action because the talks with you and your civil servants have made no progress [on issues such as funding pressures or the deregulation of teachers’ terms and conditions].”

Mr Courtney said: “Now more than ever in these uncertain times we need a properly funded and staffed education system. I have written to Nicky Morgan asking her to take actions that would protect our children’s education. Our country’s pupils and teachers deserve a positive response.” 

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment. 

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