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| Teachers to vote over pay strikes | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The National Union of Teachers has voted at its Manchester conference to ballot on a rolling campaign of one-day strikes over pay and class sizes. | |
| The union is already balloting members on a walkout on 24 April. | |
| Delegates have now voted for another ballot which will enable the executive to call strikes if a 10% pay rise is not agreed. | |
| The conference heard many teachers were "one wage packet away" from financial crisis amid rising workloads. | |
| Ministers have announced a 2.45% rise for teachers in England and Wales this year, rising to 2.3% in 2009 and 2010. | Ministers have announced a 2.45% rise for teachers in England and Wales this year, rising to 2.3% in 2009 and 2010. |
| But the NUT claims this is a pay cut in real-terms because it is below the real rate of inflation. | But the NUT claims this is a pay cut in real-terms because it is below the real rate of inflation. |
| 'Boom and bust' | 'Boom and bust' |
| It wants the government to use the Retail Price Index for its calculations on public sector pay, rather than the Consumer Price Index which is lower. | It wants the government to use the Retail Price Index for its calculations on public sector pay, rather than the Consumer Price Index which is lower. |
| A separate motion, submitted by the union's executive at the last minute, calls for a campaign to restore teachers' salaries against the cuts that it says have taken place in real terms since 2005. | A separate motion, submitted by the union's executive at the last minute, calls for a campaign to restore teachers' salaries against the cuts that it says have taken place in real terms since 2005. |
| Before we reach the bottom of the trough we are doing something about it Steve SinnottNUT general secretary | Before we reach the bottom of the trough we are doing something about it Steve SinnottNUT general secretary |
| Speaking before the conference, NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott said teachers had experienced "boom and bust" in their wage packets throughout the 1980s and 1990s. | Speaking before the conference, NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott said teachers had experienced "boom and bust" in their wage packets throughout the 1980s and 1990s. |
| Whenever there had been an increase in teachers' pay, inflation always caught up with that rise, he said. | Whenever there had been an increase in teachers' pay, inflation always caught up with that rise, he said. |
| "Before we reach the bottom of the trough we are doing something about it," he added. | "Before we reach the bottom of the trough we are doing something about it," he added. |
| Mr Sinnott also called on ministers to reconsider the 2.45% offer, urging them to prevent the "sapping of teachers' morale and the recruitment and retention crisis" that will come from real-terms cuts in teachers' pay. | Mr Sinnott also called on ministers to reconsider the 2.45% offer, urging them to prevent the "sapping of teachers' morale and the recruitment and retention crisis" that will come from real-terms cuts in teachers' pay. |
| 'Fair and responsible' | 'Fair and responsible' |
| The motion also calls for the union to draw up a strategy to protect teachers' salaries, reduce their workload and set a limit on class sizes. | The motion also calls for the union to draw up a strategy to protect teachers' salaries, reduce their workload and set a limit on class sizes. |
| It should also ease the financial burden and seek funding for state schools at the same level of those in the independent sector. | It should also ease the financial burden and seek funding for state schools at the same level of those in the independent sector. |
| A spokeswoman for the Department for Children said strike action would only disrupt children's learning. | A spokeswoman for the Department for Children said strike action would only disrupt children's learning. |
| She said the pay offer was recommended by an independent body. She added that the rise for teachers was "both fair and responsible in the current economic climate". | She said the pay offer was recommended by an independent body. She added that the rise for teachers was "both fair and responsible in the current economic climate". |
| "Everybody understands, including teachers, that we need to have a firm control of public sector pay." | "Everybody understands, including teachers, that we need to have a firm control of public sector pay." |