Two teaching unions; National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have voted to form a super union by a vote of more than 2-1. The results show 97.2 per cent of NUT members voted for the merger and 2.8 per cent voted against. In the ATL 72.8 per cent members voted for and 26.8 per cent voted against. It will be called National Education Union (NEU) and will become the largest union in Europe for teachers and education support staff having more than 450,000 members. To tackle the issues facing the education sector and fight the government’s education cuts, strength in numbers will be vital.
Until a single leader is elected in 2023 Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney the general secretaries of the ATL and NUT, respectively, will drive the NEU as joint general secretaries. Ms Bousted said the merger was a "historic moment". "With nearly half a million members, we will speak with a stronger voice on behalf of education professionals and the children, young people and adults they support," she said. "The government will need to listen when we speak on the key issues facing education - funding cuts, excessive workloads, the recruitment and retention crisis, the chaotic exam reform and accountability." Mr Courtney said: “This is a fantastic result for members of both unions and for education. For too long, governments have played divide and rule amongst education unions. Today marks the beginning of the end of that.” "The NEU will be a game-changer in the education landscape and I am delighted to be jointly leading it forward over the coming months and years." Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT is agreement with the new super union saying it would create a ‘powerful voice within education.’
The NEU will officially form on 1st September 2017 and for the first time it will be a union for teachers and ‘allied professionals,’ which means it will allow unqualified teachers to be members, something the NUT does not currently allow. Both secretaries have a clear vision and say the NEU will work with government to tackle some of the critical issues like workload and recruitment. However they will not agree to the expansion of grammar schools and will seek legal advice if the government tries to open new grammar schools without a vote in parliament to overturn the ban. One thing is for sure, industrial action will be stronger and have a bigger impact due to the large numbers. Courtney said strike action was “not what any set of workers wants to do” but “if push comes to shove, then we’re in a place where industrial action will be stronger. Governments should listen to that and not put us in a position where that happens.”
