ATL

Return to the streets

ATL members joined public sector workers throughout the UK on the second national day of action on pensions

For only the second time in its history, ATL members came together across the country to take strike action to defend their pensions.

With mixed feelings of indignation at the changes and regret at taking action, they took to the streets in their thousands, joining forces with up to two million other workers from hospitals and councils to courts and even the Commons itself, collectively making up the biggest strike for decades.

"This was a historic day for ATL Northern Ireland," said Anne Millis, NI president. "It was the first time our members had been balloted for strike action, and that the wider membership had been asked to participate in a rally."

At a Belfast hotel, members and their families gathered at a joint union-organised event before heading to the main march to City Hall, with ATL flags and banners prominent among the crowd of 20,000.

"It was empowering to stand together with other unions," said Emma Quinn, a primary teacher from Newtownabbey. "It felt like we had the opportunity to do something, rather than just complaining."

ATL estimated that almost 80% of the 21,500 maintained sector schools in England were affected by strikes, with two-thirds staying closed. A similar proportion of the 1,200 maintained schools in Northern Ireland shut, while in Scotland only 33 of 2,700 state schools were open. In Wales, more than 1,500 out of 1,776 maintained schools shut.

Most members gathered at local events, before joining marches and rallies. The views of Oliver Wharton, marching in the 25,000-strong crowd in London with fellow ATL member Donya Drapan, were typical: "The teaching profession will become much less attractive to future graduates. We're physics teachers and physics graduates can get much better-paying jobs in the private sector."

Doris Settle, an FE college lecturer in south London, felt the changes would disadvantage women who take time off to have children. "Career-average pensions will be 20% less, which will decimate women's income in retirement," she said.

With the marches and rallies made up of public sector workers from 30 unions, many ATL members reported strong support from onlookers.

"We were treated with quiet respect," said branch secretary Richard Vanstone in Bath. "Outside the Jane Austen Centre, the Regency attired doorman doffed his hat and bowed as we passed."

Support staff member Debbie Polwarth of Kenton School, marched with 10,000 public sector workers in Newcastle.

"The atmosphere was quite electric," she said. "Someone had given an old lady a flag and she was waving it at us — it gave me goosebumps.

"I've never been on strike in my life. I know there has to be reform, but this has hit people at the worst time."

Independent sector teacher Brian Metcalfe, of Dame Allan's School, also marched in Newcastle.

"What's happening to pensions is totally wrong. It's quite frightening how much more I'm going to be paying," he said.

At the Westminster rally, independent teacher Ben Shepherd from Berkhamsted School explained his participation: "I'm partly striking for independent teachers' continued membership of the Teachers' Pension Scheme [TPS]. If we're excluded, there will be less cross-fertilisation between the sectors."

Stephan Millar, from Furness Primary School in Willesden Junction (London), is just two years into his teaching career. "We're chasing the end of the pension rainbow, in that they keep extending our retirement date. We'll never get to the point where we catch up."

In Manchester — where around 30,000 protestors listened to union speakers, including Mary Bousted — Allan Child, infrastructure and development manager for St Anthony's Catholic College, worried about working until almost 70. "I'll be carrying monitors and PCs around when I'm 68. That's not safe or practical," he said.

Lecturer David Hunt, of Gower College Swansea, said most ATL colleagues had supported the action. "This is a last resort," said David. "By April 2014, if these changes go ahead, what has been a reasonably well-remunerated profession will become much less attractive to the young."

And Harrow construction lecturer Nicholas Batty foresaw more trouble. "Without a decent pension, younger teachers with families won't be able to afford to stay in the scheme and will opt out, which will wreck it," he said.

By the time the crowds of union members had dispersed, many had gone on Facebook and Twitter to share photos and to report that, despite wishing a strike had never been necessary, how proud they nevertheless were to have stood up for the profession and left the government in no doubt as to the strength of opposition to the changes — a far cry from the 'damp squib' of a day that David Cameron tried to suggest.

As branch secretary David Ambler summed up: "The whole event made me very proud to be a member of ATL and a trade unionist."

Message from Mary

"Your action on 30 November showed the government once again your opposition to its plans for your pension. I want to thank you for losing a day's pay and joining hundreds of thousands of public sector workers at such inspiring events up and down the country. Your support strengthened my hand in negotiations over the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

"By the time you read this you should know how successful ATL has been in balancing your desire for a fair pension with the government's position on the economy, while also maintaining agreement with the seven other education unions involved in the talks. As I write, a solution seems possible, but with significant hurdles in the way.

"Protecting the future of the pension schemes and protecting you both in your job and in your retirement has always been paramount in my talks with government. I'm deeply grateful for your support"

Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary