Changing Union to strike

[proseccodreamz]

I'm a member of NASWT but was understandably disappointed with the vote on industrial action. I am considering changing to NEU as it looks likely they will be striking. If I change unions now would I be able to legally strike? I feel very strongly about this issue and do not want to be going into work when my colleagues are striking.

Work to rule doesn’t work in teaching-you’ll just end up on a support plan for not doing your marking/planning/assessment etc sufficiently. We need to do 1265 hours plus the hours required to get the job done.

The only ‘action short of strike action’ that I think would be effective is refusing to engage with Ofsted. I think Ofsted is a huge reason why teaching is in crisis and if it were removed or significantly reformed, the recruitment crisis would be much reduced.

Whilst I agree with the sentiment that ofsted add to our workload, I think in practice it is inefficient leaders afraid of Ofsted that create that work. So much of what we do for Ofsted they won't even look at, confirmed by the consultants they've hired to deep dive us.

It hasn't, it says it's announcing further plans. The NEU didn't 'scrape' through - well over 53% for NEU, 42% for NASUWT - that's a huge difference in actual numbers as well as %, and that's why thousands of people have joined the NEU this week.

I swopped over today.
Cancelled my direct debit to NASUWT, sent them an e-mail cancelling my subscription and signed up to NEU.

I am disgusted that so many NASUWT members didn’t bother to vote.
I think the NEU only just passed the threshold but they’re there and I will be to on Wednesday.

This is not just about pay. The Government will run this country into the ground if we let them.

‘too’ not to

34,000 people have now joined NEU since the ballot announcement.

And there's another three days that people can still join before the strike.

The problem with refusing to engage with Ofsted is that obviously the Ofsted cycle is so long! So the dispute would drag out for years.

I am not sure you could be disciplined for taking part in action short of a strike, but I expect it could be used against you when it came to PMR etc. The real issue with it is that it would negatively impact students and no-one else.

4 days of strikes hopefully has some impact on wider society, whilst minimising serious impact on students.

NASUWT were slow to get back to me about striking via email and I couldn't get through on the phone when I called - they DID say their lines and emails were very busy.

I didn't want to be financially even worse off if ending up stuck paying them still for however many months if I was tied for a fixed term, then paying a new union too, to then take unpaid strike days. So I wanted that info to then decide what to do.

They've FINALLY replied and have not emailed back with the info I asked for, just to tell me that my membership has been cancelled immediately.

So yay - sort of. But CAN I now strike in the other days if I didn't on day one and was part of the union that couldn't strike on day 1?

Am a bit annoyed really. Think I might just join edapt.

@DrMadelineMaxwell yes you can join the NEU now and strike for the next three days.

I changed union, contacted nasuwt to cancel but heard nothing back so cancelled the dd.
Now I've been sent a letter saying I owe them for the rest of the year!
I will try to ring them. They've been really disappointing as a union, very little information and even less action.

Hmmm....When did you change? They've not emailed or written to me regarding owed dues for the rest of the year.

They have been very poor at getting back to me!

I'm waiting til the dd normally leaves my account, and looking to see if it does this month, if it does I will phone them and ask why, when they have told me I have had my membership cancelled in the email I received from them, but they didn't mention anything about other payments due.

I changed about a week before the strikes started.

NEU and NASUWT membership period is the academic year. If you are a NASUWT member leaving to join NEU, you will be charged your subs until August payment. You will also be charged for your NEU subs until August. Come September, you need to make a decision about which Union you want to stay in. Or keep being a member of both Unions for another year and pay two subs.

Yes but if you're a student or newly qualified the rates are tiny:

Students and trainees
NEU membership is FREE for students and school based trainees (eg. School Direct or Teach First).

Early career teachers/Newly Qualified Teachers
In the first year after qualifying, early career teachers (formerly NQTs) are entitled to membership for just £1. The £1 offer is available to teachers in their first year after qualifying. The £1 subscription is payable by direct debit and provides you with full membership of the union for one year from 1 September to 31 August.

In your second year of teaching you will pay just one third of the full annual national subscription for teachers and lecturers. In your third year you will receive a 17% discount on the full annual national subscription for teachers and lecturers. You can also spread the cost of your membership across 10 monthly instalments with direct debit, which are normally collected 1 October to 1 July.

Well my DD normally goes out today to pay for my subscription and the NAS hasn't taken anything. So I've officially left and am joining a different union. Wales is striking tomorrow so I can officially join all my NEU colleagues to do that.