Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) voted to ballot for strike action over changes to teachers’ pensions.
Delegates at the ATL’s annual conference in Liverpool on 19 April overwhelmingly agreed that the executive committee should decide whether to authorise a ballot for a strike this summer.
In this year’s Budget, the government accepted Lord Hutton’s recommendations as a basis for consultation on public sector pensions.
Lord Hutton recommended that the government must honour in full the pensions benefits already earned by members, and that a new career average salary scheme be set up for future pension accrual and replace existing final salary schemes in the future.
The ATL said that if the proposed career average pension scheme is implemented, it would result in teachers and support staff receiving 25% less in pensions benefits during their retirement.
The ATL represents around 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in the UK.
Dr Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: “Members deeply regret having to take this step to ballot for strike action, but they believe they need to take a strong stand now to make the government listen.”
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