School leaders across Wales have delivered an overwhelming mandate for industrial action if the Welsh Government fails to resolve the issues at the heart of an ongoing trade dispute over pay and Additional Learning Needs (ALN) funding.

NAHT Cymru today announced the outcome of an indicative ballot of its members, conducted to assess their willingness to support industrial action should those concerns remain unresolved.

The ballot produced an exceptional turnout of 74%, with an overwhelming majority of participating members (93%) indicating that they would be prepared to support industrial action short of strike if meaningful progress is not secured. A further 72.5% were prepared to strike.

The dispute centres on four key issues:

1. The Welsh Government's refusal to implement the recommendation of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB) in full.
2. The future application of the principle of no detriment for teachers and school leaders in Wales – which means they should receive a pay award at least in line with that of their counterparts in England.
3. The adequacy, distribution and transparency of Additional Learning Needs (ALN) funding.
4. The long-term sustainability of school leadership and the wider education workforce.

The result comes after months of attempts by NAHT Cymru to secure a negotiated resolution through engagement with Welsh Government.

The union has repeatedly requested substantive negotiations through the established industrial relations procedures governing disputes in education and remains committed to engaging constructively through those processes.
Kerina Hanson, President of NAHT Cymru, said: “This is an extraordinary result and one which should command the attention of every political party and every decision-maker in Wales.

“A turnout of 74% in a consultative ballot demonstrates not only the strength of feeling amongst school leaders but also the depth of their frustration.

“Our members have spoken clearly. They are deeply concerned about the future of school leadership, the continuing pressures arising from the underfunding of ALN provision and the undermining of an independent pay review process.

“School leaders have spent years stepping in where others have stepped back. They have absorbed pressure, compensated for funding shortfalls and carried increasing responsibility. This result tells us that patience is running out.”

Rob Kelsall, Assistant General Secretary of NAHT, said: “The message from members could not be clearer.

“Our indicative ballot was designed to answer two important questions. Firstly, whether the issues at the heart of this dispute genuinely reflect the priorities and concerns of school leaders. Secondly, whether members would be prepared to support industrial action if those issues remain unresolved.

“The answer to both questions is emphatically yes.

“We have sought engagement at every stage. We opened a formal dispute, referred the matter to ACAS, met ministers and made ourselves available throughout the summer for intensive negotiations. Despite this, meaningful discussions on the substance of the dispute have yet to take place.

“We remain ready to negotiate. However, negotiation requires engagement from all parties and must be directed towards resolving the issues that have led us to this point.”

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of NAHT, said: “School leaders in Wales have delivered a powerful democratic mandate.

“It is important to remember that this dispute is not simply about pay. It is about the long-term sustainability of school leadership, the resources available to support children with additional learning needs and the future attractiveness of the profession itself.

“The Welsh Government should recognise this result for what it is: a clear warning that school leaders believe the current situation is no longer sustainable.

“We continue to hope that a negotiated settlement can be achieved, but meaningful progress is now required.”

NAHT Cymru also challenged suggestions that there has been a breakthrough in discussions with Welsh Government.

While discussions have taken place publicly around potential ALN funding proposals, the union said that no agreement has been reached and that significant concerns remain regarding both the scale of funding being discussed and the long-term sustainability of any arrangements.

The union further noted that one of the central issues in dispute, namely the Welsh Government's refusal to implement the IWPRB recommendation of a 4.25% pay award, remains entirely unresolved.
Kerina Hanson added: “It is important that members, the public, and politicians understand that our dispute remains unresolved.

“Any suggestion that an agreement has been reached is simply incorrect.

“We have yet to engage in substantive negotiations on the issues at the heart of this dispute through the established industrial relations processes. Until that happens, and until meaningful progress is achieved, our members will continue to expect their union to pursue these matters robustly on their behalf.

“This ballot result demonstrates that they have our full backing in doing so.”