Pension changes to spell teacher strike

UNION leaders say they are confident teachers in Oldham will vote for strike action over pension changes.

Oldham National Union of Teachers (NUT) secretary Tony Harrison says the Government has broken a deal struck in 2006 to protect existing teachers’ right to retire at 60 with a full pension.

At the National Conference of the NUT at Harrogate, a vote to ballot members for a one-day strike in the summer, possibly as early as June, was passed. A similar strike ballot will also be held by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

The conference also called for a 24-hour general strike in the autumn over pensions, to be organised with other public sector unions.

Mr Harrison said: “I am confident Oldham NUT members, around 1,300 serving teachers, will vote overwhelmingly ‘yes’ to take industrial action to save their pensions. If members vote yes, then strike action will happen this term unless the Government changes course. We cannot afford to let them destroy our pension scheme.

“They are trying to make teachers pay for the deficit crisis which we did not cause, while the bankers walk away with higher bonuses, higher wages and huge pensions.

“This is unjust and our members understand this and will vote accordingly.”

If the NUT and ATL carry out strike action most schools in Oldham will close. If the Government wants to avoid the mass closure of schools they will need to have genuine negotiations and retreat from their unreasonable proposals.

Oldham NUT President Bryan Beckingham, who seconded the motion on pensions, said: Education Secretary Michael Gove wants us to pay more, work longer and get less! They do not want to negotiate. As a retired teacher I have already received a letter reducing my pension.”

He said that this means the pension increase is 1.5 per cent lower than it should have been. A teacher retiring on a £10,000 pension (the average teacher’s pension) would lose over £35,000 during their retirement.

He added: “The Government are probably acting illegally, and certainly immorally.”

Ministers say they want to reduce the cost of public sector pensions, but insist changes will be fair. Schools Minister Nick Gibb has invited the heads of teachersi unions to discuss the changes.

A Department for Education spokesman said change is needed because people are living longer.

Proposals will be set out in the autumn