This week sees two further National Education Union strike days
on 23 February and 24 February
to defend teacher pensions, at the following schools: Blackheath
High School, London; Brighton Girls, Brighton; Bromley High
School, London; Croydon High School, London; Kensington Prep
School, London; Northampton High School, Northampton; Northwood
College for Girls, London; Norwich High School for Girls,
Norwich; Notting Hill & Ealing High School, London;
Nottingham Girls' High School, Nottingham; Portsmouth High
School, Portsmouth; Putney High School, London; Sheffield Girls',
Sheffield; South Hampstead High School, London; Streatham &
Clapham High School, London; Sutton High School, London; Sydenham
High School, London; Wimbledon High School, London.
Five other schools in the Girls' Day School Trust will not be
taking part in this week’s strikes owing to half term. The
Trust’s two academies are unaffected by the ballot.
Pickets will occur between 7-10am at the 18 schools.
- NEU joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted will attend the
Wednesday picket at Kensington Prep School from 8.15am.
- Kevin Courtney, fellow NEU joint general secretary, will be
at South Hampstead High School on Wednesday morning from 7.30am
and at Kensington Prep School on Thursday from 7.30am.
- Amanda Brown, deputy general secretary, will be at Bromley
High School on Wednesday morning from 8.15am.
- Rachel Curley, deputy general secretary, will be at Streatham
& Clapham High School on Wednesday between
7.30am-8.30am.
- Niamh Sweeney, deputy general secretary, will be on the
Norwich High School for Girls picket on Wednesday morning from
7.45am.
- On Wednesday at Putney High School, NEU national president
Daniel Kebede will be in attendance from 7.30am-8.00am.
Teacher members from all 23 independent schools in the Trust,
including those taking half term, will then travel to Westminster
to lobby their MP and gather for a rally to challenge the
decision by Girls’ Day School Trust to slash their
pensions.
Venue: Parliament Square
Time: 1.30pm-2.00pm
Speakers include Dr Mary Bousted
Commenting on the forthcoming strike days and demonstrations,
Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National
Education Union, said:
“It is very disappointing that the Girls’ Day School Trust has
not reversed their decision to withdraw from the Teachers'
Pension Scheme (TPS). If they were really listening to the
strength of feeling from their staff, they would realise that
short term financial sweeteners offer no compensation for the
long-term security of the TPS. There is no financial imperative
for GDST to insist on removing staff from the TPS next year. The
National Education Union will of course enter the negotiations
with GDST which we have been asking for. However, this offer
gives our members no reassurance that the TPS will remain in
place and the strike action will go ahead this week.”
Editor’s Note
95% of NEU teacher members voted in favour of strike action, on a
turnout of 84%. This was a single ballot covering all 23
independent schools in the Trust.
The formal postal ballot ran from 10 to 26 January 2022. The
question put was:
"Are you prepared to take part in sustained and discontinuous
strike action in furtherance of this dispute?
"Change to conditions of service [withdrawal from the Teachers’
Pension Scheme and/or variation to pension provision]."
GDST own 23 independent girls’ schools across England and Wales.
75% of its teaching staff are members of the NEU, as of February
2022. Only teachers were eligible to vote in the indicative
ballot. The NEU also represents staff at GDST working in other
capacities.
