Teachers back strike over pension scheme
“Angry” teachers at a Bath school are set to go on strike.
A formal strike ballot of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members working at Royal High School in Bath, part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) group of independent schools, has shown overwhelming support for strike action in opposition to the plan to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
Under the proposal to leave the TPS, teachers would be “at least 20 per cent worse off on average in terms of the annual amount they receive in pension payments”, according to the NEU.
Ninety-five per cent of NEU teacher members voted in favour of strike action, on a turnout of 84 per cent.
The NEU believes the result makes the first strike action in the Girls’ Day School Trust’s 149-year history seem inevitable, although potential dates for discontinuous strike action are still to be decided.
In a statement, the GDST admitted it was “disappointed with the ballot result”, but added that the result “shows the strength of feeling we know exists among our teachers who are NEU members”. The trust urged the NEU not to call for strike action before any final decisions are made.
An NEU statement reads: “Teachers have seen a steady decline in their standard of living over several years with pay increases below inflation, including a pay freeze last academic year. If they were to lose the Teachers’ Pension Scheme as well, their pay and remuneration would be significantly worse than local state schools.”
It added: “Staff are also angry that their employer has threatened them with a policy of ‘fire and rehire’ to drive these changes through.”
Hannah Packham, NEU South West regional secretary, said: “Members at Royal High School, Bath, have demonstrated their strength of feeling regarding the proposals to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Members are united with their colleagues across the country in resisting these proposals, and the use of the despicable fire and rehire tactics.”
In response, the GDST said a final decision would be made in the last week of February following its consultation with staff, adding: “We urge the NEU not to call for strike action before any decisions are made, or any further proposals are put forward.
“The decision to begin collective consultation was reluctantly reached by the GDST trustees following a 43 per cent increase in employer contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) imposed by the government in 2019.
“Since this time, the GDST has been grappling with an increase in employer contributions from 16.48 per cent to 23.68 per cent of teachers’ salaries (an extra cost of £6m each year).
“The government has covered this rise in the maintained sector, including our two academies, but independent schools must deal with this additional burden on their own. As a result, over 280 independent schools have already left the TPS.”
The trust said it was committed to providing teachers with a “strong alternative pension scheme”.