Staff at England’s largest exam board have voted to strike this summer over pay, but AQA has said results will not be delayed.<\/p>\n
UNISON said staff at board were angry bosses had “failed” to deliver a promise for pay deals that \u201ccompensate for years of wages failing to keep up with living costs\u201d.<\/p>\n
Seventy-seven per cent of members who took part in a vote on whether to strike voted in favour of action, on a turnout of over 78 per cent. The ballot closed on April 23.<\/p>\n
The union warned that pupils could face a longer wait for their GCSE and A-level results this summer if the strikes went ahead.<\/p>\n
But the AQA accused it of \u201cattempting to alarm students, teachers and parents, for their own purposes\u201d, and said it would \u201cnot allow results to be delayed\u201d.<\/p>\n
Jane Warburton, UNISON\u2019s north west regional organiser, said staff \u201cdon\u2019t want to have to take strike action\u201d, but \u201cthey\u2019re not prepared to let bosses break promises they\u2019ve made over pay\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter years of watching their wages fail to keep up with the cost of living, they want things to be put right.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s still time for the AQA to avoid any disruption. But they need to swiftly change tack and start talking to staff about how to get these issues resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union said more than 400 staff would take part in the industrial action. It is calling for pay restoration, which it said would require a 7.3 per cent rise this year.<\/p>\n