Headteachers in Wales will start a work to rule on February 1 for the first time in history as teachers walk out of the classroom in a row over pay and funding. NAHT Cymru members begin action short of strike tomorrow (Weds 1 Feb) as the first step in their dispute with local authorities over pay and funding.
It is the first time in the more than 100 year-old history of the NAHT that members have voted for action. In a ballot with a 55% turn out in Wales 95% voted for action short of strike and 75% for strike to make the strength of feeling on pay and funding.
The 5% pay offer to teachers has been dismissed as an "insult" and the NAHT decided to go with the majority vote for work to rule action short of strike. The action means members of the NAHT Cymru will not do any administration work that does not have direct bearing on education and learning.
That includes telling councils who has come in to work, or not on the strike day tomorrow (FEB 1). The NAHT said that as a result nearly half of councils in Wales have threatened to pay no one on the strike day, whether they come to work or not. For a full list of schools that are shutting read here
Read more: Headteacher explains why he's shutting his school when teachers strike next week
The union blasted this action as illegal, but refused to say which councils had threatened to withhold all pay.
Headteachers working to rule will also refuse to attend any meetings with the school improvement consortia, Welsh Government or local education authorities on any matters other than safeguarding. The won't make any data returns or report on grant spending.
The NAHT Cymru said in a statement: “Some Local Authorities in Wales have indicated that they could illegally deduct the pay of non-striking workers in response to the lawful action of school leaders.”
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “This demonstrates the completely amateur approach of local authorities that lies at the heart of the education dispute. Any proposal to illegally deduct wages from dedicated working people because they simply no longer know how to deal with trade unions positively is not just illegal, it is reckless.”
Mr Whiteman said he was confident that all unions would pursue the Local Authorities through the courts to restore workers’ money if necessary. And he said it has now also emerged that workers falling ill on the strike day are being required by some local education authorities to get a doctor’s note.
He said:“I cannot believe that local authoritries are so desperate to undermine legitimate industrial action that they would target the sick and place a further intolerable burden upon the NHS service.”
Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru, added: “What is really happening here is an attempt to undermine our legitimate lawful action.
“Guidance issued by some local authorities directly contradicts our action and is being used in some cases to intimidate our members.
“As a union we have jumped through the hoops of the UK Government’s anti-trade union legislation to afford our members the protection to take action.
“Our action seeks to frustrate the education system while protecting the learners and continuing to provide education to children and young people. By very definition our action will seek to frustrate the administrative system, but that’s the nature of industrial action.
“To see administrations who pride themselves in supporting workers’ right to take action respond in this way is a disgrace. Some actions go against the very principles and trade union roots those officials and elected members were put in place to preserve and protect."
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