94% of UNISON members in the flagship voluntary aided, Central Foundation Girls School, Bow, East London, voted in a secret postal ballot to carry out strike action next week to stop compulsory redundancies. On Wednesday (28 March) and Thursday (29 March) school administration staff will go on strike to save members jobs.
This is only the start of a series of planned strikes designed to bring local management back to the negotiation table and stop planned compulsory job cuts.
The school is undergoing a restructure. However, it has decided not to follow LEA guidance and procedures regarding assimilation and redeployment. This means staff are facing dismissal even though new posts are substantially the same. New staff are being recruited without seeing if existing staff are able to do the job.
This action is very much as a last resort. I can vouch that the excellent local shop steward and UNISON assistant branch secretary, Jean Lane, Tower Hamlets branch and London UNISON region, have made extraordinary efforts to try and save jobs without such confrontation. However, UNISON is obviously concerned that if this School gets away with sacking people without following appropriate employment procedures, then no staff are safe in the borough.
I think that the schools action with regard to this matter, illustrates a widespread problem with non LEA schools (who can employ their own staff and follow their own employment procedures). Schools should concentrate on what they should be good at – teaching! Not try to carry out complex and difficult employment reorganisations and procedures by themselves.
Since in this case there is no alternative to strike action. Therefore we must plan to win. Pickets are being organised for all entrances from very (very) early in the morning. A Strike committee is being formed and a support group of former pupils and parents. Non CFGS Branch members are organising solidarity action. The NUT and local NASUWT are very supportive. The GMB is also balloting their members and other school UNISON staff have offered total solidarity. Local community and faith groups will be contacted. Placards, posters and leaflets have been ordered. Picket rotas and banners are being arranged. A co-ordained publicity campaign is being set up. Local Councillors and MP’s will also be lobbied for support.
A rally is being organised, probably in the afternoon of the first day of action (details to follow. We may set up a “strike blog”?)
Please send messages of support to the CFGS strike committee c/o Tower Hamlets LG UNISON Office, Ground floor, 60 Southern Grove, Bow, London, E3 4PN tel: 020 7364 0856 fax: 020 7364 5033 email: towerhamlets@unisonplus.net . Also supporters are requested to contact the headmistress at:
Central Foundation Girls' School
Harley Grove Bow London E3 2AT
Fax: 020 8983 0188
Email: welcome@central.towerhamlets.sch.ukAnd request that meaningful negotiations are started urgently to try and resolve this dispute
6 comments:
Good result well done to all involved and John your best post yet.
Watch this space!
I fully support this strike and look forward to joining you all on the picket line next Wednesday.
John it shows all to clearly the real effect of Local Management of Schools, and the wide range of other policies designed to weaken the power of the Education Authority by sucessful Tory and New Labour Governments. The clear losers are the mainly low paid , mainly female and mainly part time workforce. Good luck to all at the School. From such battles must come real change to secure equality for School employed staff
I heard a rumour that you had arecent encounter with the pensions minister - can you confirm?
Ah, yes, you never know when you will come across one. See next post.
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