See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR Published: 18:32 BST, 10 June 2026 | Updated: 18:33 BST, 10 June 2026
A teaching union plotting nationwide strikes next year is now facing its own staff walkout over management bullying claims.The National Education Union (NEU) saw 20 of its own workers strike today, with a repeat of the action planned for tomorrow.Reps for the workers said the bullying had been so bad that it 'forced' several of them to move away from the London regional branch.They said the NEU's General Secretary, Daniel Kebede, had promised an external review into the issue but this still has not been shared with them. There is no suggestion he is the subject of the claims.It comes after the British Medical Association was accused of 'hypocrisy' in April when its own workers walked out over pay, at the same time as its members were also out on strike for the same reason.The latest row is equally as embarrassing for the Left-wing NEU, the nation's largest teaching union, given its reputation for rabble-rousing in the name of workers' rights.Earlier this year, it announced plans for debilitating nationwide strikes after Christmas unless the Government ups its pay offer of 6.5 per cent over three years.Mr Kebede said at the time he planned to 'organise' even more workers this year and that 'the arc of moral justice is on our side.' A teaching union plotting nationwide strikes next year is now facing its own staff walkout over management bullying claims. Pictured: Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union (there is no suggestion he is the subject of the claims)However, today, Unite, which represents the aggrieved NEU workers, said the union had been guilty of bad employment practices itself.Unite regional officer Zimeon Jones said: 'We made it clear to senior management that we would call off our strike if they gave us the report. We even said that if they promised to give us the report imminently, then we would cancel this week's action.'However, no positive response was received to our proposal. Staff, including several who have been forced out of the London region by management bullying, gave evidence and it deserves to be acted on so that bullying can never occur again in the London region. However, nothing can happen until the investigation report is shared with Unite.'Unite said Mr Kebede had agreed that there should be an 'external investigation' last year into 'staff concerns about management bullying' and that it would receive a copy.Unite said this was carried out at the start of 2026, and the resulting report sent to the senior leadership team in April.'However, almost six weeks after receiving the investigation report, it still hasn't been shared,' the union said.A Unite spokesman said 'no convincing reason' had been offered for the delay, and that staff had been given 'little choice' but to strike due to the 'procrastination'.Last month, the Mail revealed the NEU's strike game plan, which will involve a massive recruitment drive of school support workers including librarians, teaching assistants and dinner ladies.Activists said they planned to 'flood schools' with pro-strike propaganda this summer to put the union 'on a war footing'.Today, an NEU spokesman said it had offered talks to Unite last month on the condition that strikes be suspended but they 'failed to respond'.They said the report is still only in draft form and that it would be 'inappropriate' to share it before it is finished.They said: 'The purpose of the independent investigation is to establish the facts objectively and without interference. Unite's attempts to obtain and comment on draft findings before that process is complete risks undermining the independence and integrity of the investigation. If the final report identifies matters requiring further action, we will address them appropriately as an employer.'
