Ian Pringle, Immediate Past Chairman

I entered teaching, in the Primary sector, in 1971.

Over my 39 years, I have seen a huge amount of change – some for the better and some not.

When I became a teacher, I joined the NUT. I don’t recall being aware of any other union at the time. It wasn’t many years before I became somewhat disenchanted with what the NUT appeared to stand for and how they went about doing so.

Things ‘came to a head’ during a particularly militant period in my local authority. A group of NUT teachers went on strike one day and were not paid by the LEA. We were virtually ‘told by our local union representation that we should donate a small portion of our salary to make up the strikers’ wages!! It was shortly afterwards that I joined PAT (now Voice) and, in time, became involved in local then more national affairs.

If I could wind back the clock, I would have joined our association earlier than I did.