Headteachers across Wales begin first work-to-rule in history

HEADTEACHERS in Wales will start a work-to-rule today 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 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 history of the NAHT that members have voted for action. In a ballot with a 55% turnout in Wales 95% voted for action short of strike and 75% for striking.

A 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 today. The NAHT said 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.

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. They won’t make any data returns or report on grant spending.

The NAHT Cymru said: “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 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 authorities 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.”