Editing NASUWT (section)

==Social partnership and work force reform==

From 2003 to 2010 the NASUWT was involved in "social partnership" – a programme of meetings between union leaders, the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] government and employers' organisations. The meetings were initially to discuss pay and workforce issues but developed into a forum for broader discussion on policy proposals.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = A Licence to Teach
  | author = Jonathan Simons
  | publisher = Policy Exchange
  | url = http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/item/a-licence-to-teach
  | access-date = 19 January 2014}}</ref> The [[National Union of Teachers]] chose not to participate in social partnership. The NASUWT argues{{citation needed|date=March 2011}} that social partnership brought about benefits to teachers' terms and conditions through the "National Agreement – Raising Standards, Tackling Workload", especially the introduction of defined planning and assessment time for all teachers.

Social partnership was confined to the Labour government, and did not continue after the establishment of the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition]] in 2010. Instead, the union lodged a formal trade dispute with the government over workload, conditions of service, pensions, and jobs. In November 2011, members of the NASUWT voted by a 4-to-1 margin<ref name="2011ballotresult">
{{Cite web
  | title = National Action Ballot Result
  | publisher = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@press/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_008623.pdf
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150110144120/http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@press/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_008623.pdf
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 10 January 2015
  }}</ref> (on a 39% turnout)<ref>
{{Cite news
  | title = NASUWT: Largest teachers' union ballot
  | newspaper = politics.co.uk
  | url = http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/nasuwt-the-teachers-union/article/nasuwt-largest-teachers-union-ballot
  | date = 4 November 2011
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  }}</ref> to take strike action, and begin working to the letter of their contracts.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = Teachers in NASUWT vote for strike over pensions
  | publisher = BBC News
  | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15791167
  | date = 18 November 2011}}</ref> The NASUWT set aside historical differences with the [[National Union of Teachers]]; a joint declaration in May 2012<ref>
{{Cite news
  | title = NASUWT and NUT call upon Michael Gove to urgently address concerns – or face industrial action
  | newspaper = politics.co.uk
  | url = http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/nasuwt-the-teachers-union/article/nasuwt-and-nut-call-upon-michael-gove-to-urgently-address-co
  | date = 28 May 2012}}</ref> led to a co-ordinated work-to-rule and strike action in autumn 2013.
<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = Teachers' strike: Thousands of schools shut in England
  | publisher = BBC News
  | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24549604
  | date = 17 October 2013}}</ref>