TEACHING unions blasted the government today after it announced anti-strike “minimum service levels” are to be introduced in schools and colleges.

The announcement was rubbished as a distraction from 13 years of Tory failures after the party suffered huge by-election losses in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire.

The Department for Education said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had written to union leaders inviting them to discuss the plans on a voluntary basis.

It added the government would use powers granted through the controversial Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act if no agreement is reached, leading to a consultation “expected to include a range of models” for minimum service levels in education. 

National Education Union (NEU) general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “The NEU strongly opposes the introduction of minimum service levels.

“We do not acknowledge the validity of them given their impact on the fundamental right to strike, therefore we do not believe this is an appropriate topic for the government or Department for Education to regulate.  

“The government, led by a Prime Minister not elected by the public and who has just had two historic by-election losses, has no democratic mandate to implement such an attack on our democratic freedoms.”

NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “The Education Secretary’s announcement is a blatant attempt to distract from the crisis engulfing our schools and colleges on this government’s watch.

“Today’s announcement comes just hours after the government suffered some of its worst ever by-election results.

“The message is loud and clear: the public wants more investment in our schools and colleges, not a government that is hell-bent on attacking the rights of dedicated, committed and hard-working teachers.”

The laws, passed earlier this year, require a proportion of union members to continue working to retain a “minimum level” of service and strikes could be deemed illegal if unions refuse to provide this.

It follows more than 10 days of strike action in schools this year in a dispute over teacher pay and working conditions, which the government claims led to 25 million lost school days. 

Ms Keegan said: “We cannot afford a repeat of that disruption — particularly as schools and teachers continue to work so hard to help children recover from the pandemic.”