A teacher union leader has reported a 鈥渟urge鈥 in requests for support from members facing redundancies, warning funding cuts will prompt more industrial action ballots in individual schools and trusts. Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the , also said his union would wait to see the government鈥檚 response to the School Teachers鈥 Review Body鈥檚 recommendation before making a decision on whether to ballot its members for potential national strikes. Schools Week revealed last week how schools are being urged to save up to 拢750,000 through redundancies, curriculum squeezes and cuts to programmes supporting the poorest pupils as the funding crisis escalates. It comes after we also revealed last month that school budgets will rise by about 0.5 per cent per pupil next year, with leaders finding they will receive less than expected when their received their funding letters. ‘Serious concern’ raised with government Speaking in a press briefing ahead of NASUWT鈥檚 conference later this month, Roach said the union had seen 鈥渁n uptick, in fact, a bit of a surge, actually, in members coming for support around restructure and redundancy, so the threat to jobs鈥. He said NASUWT had raised a 鈥渟erious concern鈥 about the issue with the education secretary Bridget Phillipson in December and in January. 鈥淲e warned the secretary of state of the prospect of industrial dispute within the sector unless the government was prepared to take action in this particular, particular regard.鈥 He said the situation was 鈥渘ot helped鈥 by the government鈥檚 insistence that schools fund part of the proposed 2.8 per cent pay rise next year from their existing budgets. 鈥淭hat did not help the situation. But we are seeing a rising number of restructures and redundancies. Many are being driven by financial pressures, schools鈥 financial pressures.鈥 It is 鈥渁lso being driven by demographic factors鈥, such as falling pupil numbers. 鈥淪o those two sets of issues, finance and demographics, are having a significant impact on the job security of teachers at a time when the government wants to recruit 6,500 more teachers. 鈥淭he government needs a plan to address some of this, because at the moment, schools are not being offered any alternative in many respects than to consider cutting their cloth in the context of the funding pressures that they’re under.鈥 Government ‘needs a plan’ to restore pay It also emerged last week that the government has revised up its forecast of wage growth across the economy next year from 3 to 3.7 per cent, prompting warnings a 2.8 per cent pay rise for teachers would not be competitive. The National Education Union is currently holding an indicative ballot on the proposal, which was made by the government in its evidence to the STRB. The STRB can make recommendations above what the government has put forward, but ministers can ignore it. Asked by Schools Week if he envisaged NASUWT balloting if the pay offer stood at 2.8 per cent, Roach said 鈥渨e’ll have to see what those recommendations are and how the government intends to respond. 鈥淥ur position is this very clearly, we want to see a above inflation payable for our members, for teachers for this year, and for that to be fully funded. 鈥淏ut – we also make no bones about it – want to see real terms pay restoration for teachers. Because teachers鈥 pay has been seriously attacked over the course of the 14 years of the Conservative government.鈥 He said he expected 鈥渢o see a government coming forward with a plan to address that鈥easserting the competitiveness of teachers pay as against other graduate occupations鈥. ‘Omens aren’t good’ on Ofsted reform Roach was also quizzed about Ofsted鈥檚 proposed reforms. The inspectorate is consulting on plans to judge schools with five grades across up to 11 inspection areas. The union leader, who is due to stand down this year, noted the consultation was ongoing 鈥渂ut the omens are not good鈥. He complained of the 鈥渄istance between Ofsted proposals and what I think the profession was expecting and what I believe was the intent at the time of a decision to undertake a review of the inspection framework鈥. 鈥淚t appears, certainly from the proposals that Ofsted has advanced so far that we’re going to see more inspection, not less inspection. And more doesn’t necessarily mean better.鈥 He added that if Ofsted and government 鈥渘eed more time to get this right, then they should not hesitate to take that extra time鈥. Ofsted has repeatedly said its plans are not set in stone, amid fears about the short timeframe for reform. Speaking to educators this week, Oliver said he hoped “you will also help us make these proposals that I鈥檝e just outlined even better. “There are some fantastic educators in this room, and many more who recognise the transformative power of education. So please聽take part in our consultation.”