ALMOST half a million teachers will form a new National Education Union, after two major unions overwhelmingly voted to merge.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) voted by a margin of 97.2 per cent in favour of amalgamation, while 73 per cent of Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) members also voted for the deal.

Announcing the result yesterday, the leaders of the two unions said it would make teachers a more powerful force when facing off attacks from the government.

“We both understand that with divided unions, responding to rapid changes in government policy hasn’t been as effective,” ATL general secretary Mary Bousted said.

“Working together and not competing means we will be able to do so much more.”

NUT leader Kevin Courtney said: “It’s a historic day for teacher trade unionism and for education professionals. Governments of all political stripes haven’t listened to our professional voice for all too long.

“We look around the world and we see that wherever teacher unions are united, they are the better for it.”

While the NUT only accepts qualified teachers, the new union will also include “professional allies” including support staff in line with the ATL’s recruitment policy. Mr Courtney said this was the “right model.”

The decision comes almost two years after the merger plan was first endorsed by the two unions’ conferences.

The ATL has traditionally been considered a more “moderate” force than the NUT, less willing to take strike action and only affiliating to the TUC in 1999.

But Dr Bousted said there was a “misunderstanding that ATL doesn’t take strike action,” saying that her union was just as prepared to support members using walkouts as a last resort.

She suggested the margin of victory had been smaller in the ATL because “it’s a bigger ask for a smaller union [to merge with a larger organisation], there are more concerns among members.”

Mr Courtney said the new union would be in a stronger position “if push comes to shove” and members felt compelled to strike.

Asked by the Star if the new union would seek to further mergers with other education organisations, Mr Courtney said: “Absolutely. Our aim is professional unity and our door is open to other unions that want to have those discussions.”

Former ATL president Hank Roberts, the secretary of the Unify professional unity campaign, echoed this message.

“Our next step has to be to move to take this burgeoning unity further,” he said.

“The NEU union will be over 400,000 strong. A union of all education workers would be one million strong — a mighty force for progress.”

The new union will be jointly led by Dr Bousted and Mr Courtney from its official formation in September until 2023. At yesterday’s press conference both leaders confirmed they are likely to step down at this point.