Teacher strike coordination on cards, militant union leader warns

Daniel Kebede called the teachers' strikes «taking back control of a brutal racist state.» Photo: Jeff Pugh for The Telegraph

The militant new leader of the National Education Union (NEU) is preparing to coordinate the biggest teacher strikes in decades.

Daniel Kebede, an activist teacher who will take over as general secretary of the teachers' union in September, warned on Wednesday that strikes would be organized in the fall semester if all four teachers' unions received strike mandates.

Mr Kebede , in his 30s, has described the teachers' strikes as «reclaiming control of a brutal racist state» and has led protests on issues such as racism, the government's response to refugees and the pro-Palestinian movement.

Speaking at the picket line at Regent High School in Somers Town, northwest London, when teachers went on strike on Wednesday, Mr Kebede said there would be coordinated action.

“The fact is that teaching no longer provides a decent standard of living. We have a hiring retention crisis, we have schools that are struggling to retain teachers and recruit new teachers.”

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NEU members are also on strike on Friday after refusing to raise average wages by 4 .5 percent. cents for the next academic year.

The NEU, along with the NASUWT Teachers' Union, the NAHT School Leadership Union and the School and College Leaders' Association, are voting for their members in England to take action in the new school year.

Schools have never faced such harsh conditions. teachers' strike following wage disputes in the mid-1980s.

Mr Kebede, who is replacing Dr. Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney for a five-year term, has promised to create a «united union to campaign.» which must be mobilized «in full force» to «take over this disorderly government».

School students across the country were forced to stay at home on Wednesday, with many missing scheduled sports days and accommodation trips as teachers went on strike.

NEU urged Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to resume negotiations and publish independent body's salary advice on the salary review, which is supposed to have proposed a 6.5% increase in teachers' salaries next year.

Rishi Sunak has indicated that he is ready to cancel the salary review of the authorities if the increase causes inflation.< /p>

A Ministry of Education spokesman said: “This strike will result in the cancellation of end-of-semester events and important transitional days in secondary schools, which will affect children and cause more anxiety for parents. .

“As part of the normal process, the Independent Review Body of School Teachers has submitted its recommendations to the government on teacher pay for 2023/24. We will review the recommendations and post our response in the usual way.”