But why delay a new ballot until next term?

It's good that the Executive confirmed their intention to pursue a campaign on pay and workload including working with other unions and, without yet agreeing a timetable, to carry out a new ballot for discontinuous action. But this is, after all, just confirming Annual Conference policy.

The National Executive's job should be to take things further - to look at the success of April 24th and to act to build on the enthusiasm and momentum generated on the day. Unfortunately, instead of making a firm decision on May 8th, the Executive postponed discussion on the exact timetable until their next meeting on May 22nd. Worse, reading between the lines, the ballot and action may be put off until next term.

The Executive's motion simply says that the next meeting "will give detailed consideration to possible forms of strike and non-strike action, and possible timetables for them". But National Treasurer, Ian Murch, in an article reporting on the Executive meeting in his local Bradford paper makes clear, "I don't think it is very likely that there will be another strike this term because we are committed to examinations"...Mr.Murch said that the union would "consider" action including rolling strikes and stop-work meetings from September". (this also raises a big debate on the kind of action the Executive is looking at, as well as the timetable).

All the emphasis from the National Union for now seems to be on petitioning and lobbying MPs - all very well for maintaining the campaign in the short-term but, as teachers realistically understand, a poor substitute for fiurther action. Frankly, I don't think it's good enough.

I have put a motion for discussion to the Lewisham NUT General Meeting meeting this Monday calling on the Executive on May 22nd to:

• Agree to hold a ballot for discontinuous national action to seek to achieve our objectives on both pay and workload;
• Agree a timetable for balloting this term which allows the first day of further national action to take place in July 2008;
• Announce the day for the next planned national strike so that we can go out and approach other public sector unions and seek to build co-ordinated action on that date.

I think we urgently need to send these demands to the Executive from schools and Associations if we want to see the momentum from April 24th sustained.

Martin Powell-Davies