TEACHERS have voted in favour of possible industrial action if the Tory government continues its “unacceptable pay policies”.

Delegates at the NASUWT conference over the Easter weekend unanimously passed a motion calling on the union’s executive to “consider the use of rolling strike action” unless “substantial, above-inflation and across the board pay increases” are agreed.

Steve Thompson, a teacher from Leeds who introduced the motion, said: “It is clear to all why there is a recruitment and retention crisis in the profession.

“There is only one way to address this – the pay cap must be lifted.”

Zoe Lynch from Wolverhampton told conference about a former colleague who had left teaching to join a graduate training scheme at supermarket Aldi.

She said: “Although he loved teaching, he had a better quality of life and [better] pay.”

Martin Hudson, from Newcastle upon Tyne, told delegates that teachers needed to “challenge seven years of derisory pay awards”.

He said: “We need to pull our socks up, buck up our ideas and get out there and use the combined efforts of our union to organise and agitate and mobilise our members and send a very clear message to everyone.

“We have had enough. We need to demand and secure a well-deserved and substantial pay rise for teachers.”

Daniel Carvalho, who teaches in Lincoln, told conference that he asked for and received a pay rise “not because I’m an outstanding teacher, I’m far from that.”

But he said he told his line manager: “I know I’m not indispensable – but I can guarantee I get a job faster than you can find another teacher.”

He added: “If we do not demand a pay rise now, forget about it.”

Similar issues facing the teaching profession were raised during motions on the teacher retention crisis and on the misuse of school funding.

Paula Westcott, a teacher from Kirklees, said: “[The government] might be throwing money at recruitment, but it’s not working.

“We are going down. We are sinking – it’s going to happen. There needs to be a change.”

Delegates at the conference of the NUT section of the National Education Union in Brighton this weekend also voted in favour of a ballot on strike action if pay demands are not met.