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Historic talks about forming one big union for Britain’s teachers were held at the weekend in a bid to beat determined Tory attacks on education.
Members of all existing teaching unions met to discuss a merger at a unity conference in London organised by the National Union of Teachers (NUT).
NUT general secretary Christine Blower told the Star it was time for unions to unite to defend schools and their members from Education Secretary Michael Gove.
“We’re facing a government that’s intent on destroying the education service and indeed attacking and, if it can, destroying trade unions,” she said.
“This is really the time we should be moving forward on a single and unified message to defend education.
“That’s bound to mean we would have more influence than we can when we’re separate because what we do at the moment is expend our resources on competitive recruitment.”
Third-largest teaching union ATL leader Mary Bousted backed the project in a recorded video message.
Dozens of her union’s members took part alongside delegates from headteachers’ union NAHT and Welsh teachers’ union UCAC.
A handful of members of NASUWT also took part despite its leaders staying away from the conference.
Education expert Howard Stevenson said split unions were no longer an “affordable luxury” in the face of Mr Gove’s assault on the profession.
“If it was OK until now, I don’t think it’s acceptable any longer,” said the Nottingham University professor.
“There’s an imperative for teaching unions to change which has not been the case until now.
“The word historic can be overused, but this does feel like a very significant event.”
Prof Stevenson quoted Department for Education figures that said 97 per cent of all teachers belong to a union.
TUC figures suggest a combined union would have over 750,000 members — more than general union GMB — and Ms Blower said it could become the world’s third largest teaching union.
Ms Blower added that it was not “beyond the bounds of possibility” that NASUWT could join a strike on March 26 if progress over pay and pensions is not made in talks with Mr Gove’s officials.
