On Friday, the UK Department of Education introduced minimum service levels for schools with the intention to limit the extent of teacher strikes. The announcement was made by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who also stated that she formally invited the National Education Union (NEU) to engage in discussions regarding establishing mutual agreement on the minimum service levels.
In the event that a voluntary agreement fails to come to fruition, Keegan has indicated she would enforce her authority under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.
In response to these propositions, in a press release, the NEU has expressed its strong opposition towards the introduction of minimum service levels. It further argues that the new measures threaten to impact the fundamental right to strike. NEU proposes an alternative solution to the matter at hand, which includes re-assessing funds allocation to schools and conservative education policies.
It’s notable that in July, the Strikes Act bill received Royal Assent. The bill aims to balance the abilities of workers to strike with the rights of the general public. Moreover, the Act serves to establish a “minimum service” framework across diverse industries, namely, transport, education and healthcare sectors.
The current legislation is not without its critics. Despite there being no statutory right to strike in the UK, Art 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights safeguards the right to peaceful assembly, including the right to unionize. Furthermore, the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 legalizes and protects industrial action, provided it’s conducted within the bounds of the Act.
It would appear that these steps are in response to grim statistics – as per Education Secretary Keegan – of around 25 million cumulative school days lost owing to past strikes. However, she further warns of potential ongoing disruption if strike actions persist.