Strike action by thousands of London teachers on March 14 could herald a renewed wave of struggle in schools throughout the country.
The initial low turnout in the ballot – 86% voting yes, but only a 30% turnout – was completely surpassed by the numbers taking part in action. Thousands of schools were closed and over half a million pupils affected as teachers struck and mobilised. Over 8,000 NUT members, out of a London membership of 40,000, took to the streets of the capital in a march organised by the NUT left, through the London associations.
Pickets were mounted at many schools to publicise the strike and there was mass leafleting of train and tube stations to put the teachers’ case to parents. The strike action received overwhelming support from parents who understood the lie behind Estelle Morris’s concern about children missing one ‘precious’ day of education.
As Doug McAvoy, NUT General Secretary, told the packed rally following the march: "The pupils of teachers here today will have teachers back in their classroom tomorrow. For thousands of other pupils there is no teacher to come back."
Teacher shortage is particularly acute in London because of high house prices. Bernard Regan, Inner London Executive member, told the rally that one Westminster teacher in four left their jobs last year. 20% of newly qualified teachers leave teaching within the first year.
While the crisis is worst in London, poor pay and worse conditions mean that the problem of teacher shortages is also a national one. Regan called for the March 14 action to be the start of a campaign for a national pay campaign, for a rolling programme of action and for teachers to link up with other public sector workers who have pay claims in.
Greetings were also given to the rally from the London regions of the FBU, UNISON, RMT and CWU. As Jeremy Corbyn told the meeting: "If we want decent public services we need to give public service workers decent pay." The NUT now seems part of a growing wave of public service strikers demanding just that.