Headteachers vote for ballot on industrial action

Britain's biggest headteacher's union voted for a ballot on industrial action in state schools yesterday.

The move was agreed with only a single dissenting voice at the National Association of Head Teachers' conference in Torquay, minutes before it was addressed by David Miliband, the new minister for Schools. Delegates gave ministers until December to devise a package to reduce their workload or face a ballot.

Mr Miliband said later: "These people [the heads] want to teach. They don't want to be on strike. We are determined to seize this opportunity to negotiate and I think it's a great challenge."