Yesterday our strikes were well attended, and energy for action is clearly high, particularly in workplaces that are coming out for the first time in a while. We need to ask how this current leverage from the aggregated ballot is being used though? What do members want to do with this exceptional effective power they currently hold? What are our top end demands regarding the four fights and pensions? Members need to know what negotiators should be pushing for before those terms are set from above.

We’re in the midst of a wave of sectoral industrial actions, alot of the demands of this dispute are bypassing local and national employers, and instead being posed directly to the state. We are veering towards a political dispute over the soul of our public education system. How are we as education workers using the cumulative class power of this industrial leverage to make political demands over the current state of education? How are education workers using this class leverage to make political demands for our class? With UNISON and Unite branches out, with the NEU’s live ballot, now is the time for bold action.

There has been much talk of escalation, but we need to make it a reality. If we are serious about winning this dispute (that we’ve been in for four years), it means wielding the strongest weapon we have: indefinite strike action. In order to get this, the rank-and-file of the union needs to coordinate across branches, and push from below.

We are calling an open rank-and-file meeting on Monday the 28th of November at 7pm for members to come and discuss the way forward

You can register for that call by clicking here.