Teachers’ union goes to the polls

An election process is under way for the first ever elected deputy general secretary of the 450,000-strong NEU education union.

The union has issued a call for nominations, and the successful candidate will take office in January 2022.

Still in a transitional period after its formation from the merger of the NUT and ATL, the union currently has two deputy general secretaries. But these are appointed staff and they will work alongside the elected DGS.

The structure at the top of the NEU will change again in August 2023. At present, the union has two joint general secretaries, Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted, but there will be an election for a single leader in August 2023.

And later that year, the two appointed DGS posts will be reduced to one, who will work alongside the victor in the current election.