On the third strike day The Village School strikers claim victory as all their demands met by Academy Trust

 

Undaunted and solid in their unity - today's picket line

NEU members at The Village School,  Kingsbury declared victory today as negotiations with the Academy Trust on the third day of the strike brought concessions from the Academy Trust that runs the school.

The union claims that they have won:

• Original leave of absence policy restored and uploaded 
• Reimbursement for all staff who lost money through the operation of the rogue policy
• Written agreement to operate in accordance with trust scheme of delegation which means 12 policies can only be changed by going through a six stage process which now requires mutual agreement first between trust and union reps at JCC
• Pledge in writing to honour our trade union recognition agreement and links to this placed on policy and trust websites
•  Email to staff clarifying that our position was correct 

Twenty new members joined the NEU during the strike and there were three days of picket lines of more than 60 people. More than 100 staff were on strike on each of the three days, leading to the school being shut. As this is an SEND (special school)  the majority of strukers were support staff. There were multiple messages of support from parents during the strike action and backing from Brent Trades Council and retired NEU members.

Jenny Cooper, on of the school NEU reps said:

When all else fails, don't despair: STRIKES WORK

 

 

 

 

 

'Betrayed' staff mount massive picket at The Village School in Kingsbury

The Village School in Kingsbury this moarning saw one of the biggest Brent picket lines for many a year.

The staff of the school that was academised against their wishes, have recently experienced what academisation means when high-handed management took unilateral action without any consultation - despite the fact that consultation over conditions of service was one of the undertakings made at the time.

 

 

One member of staff remarked about the betrayal of trust and said, 'Jenny warned us about this when we were fighting academisation - and now it has happened.'

The imposed changes will result in pay cuts for staff needing hospital appointments, ante-natal appointments and carer' leave. Attempts to negotiate failed so the NEU called a strike of staff for today and the school was shut to pupils.

If the Trust that runs the school does not shift its position there will be two days of strikes, Wednesday and Thursday, after half-term. 

The mood of the strikers was good natured, positive and very, very determined and the sense of community palpable.

 

On the third strike day Byron Court strikers and supporters are in good heart and voice

 

Outside theBrent Civic Centre...

 and inside

Byron Court strikers and their parent and community supporters took their protest from the picket line to Brent Civic Centre this morning. Their energery remains undiminished on the third strike day against forced academisation and determinations has, if anything, increased.

Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary joined the picket line and congratulated the campign on their 'push back' on forced academisation that would stand as an example to others:

 

 

Buoyed by the support, including that of three Brent councillors, the strikers and supporters were in good voice on the picket line and at the Civic Centre. 

 

 

 

Yesterday one of the Byron Court NEU representatives, Alice Butterton, told Wembley Matters about the impact of the Ofsted judgement on staff and parents. (The Byron Court girls cricket team won their cricket tournament!) 

 

Parents and community members join NEU strikers on the picket line at Byron Court

 

 

The struggle to resist the handing over of Byron Court Primary School to the Harris Federation Academy Trust reached a crucial new stage on Friday when NEU members at the school went on strike. Having explored all avenues and marshalled support from parents, community Barry Gardiner MP and Gwen Grahl, Lead Brent Cabinet Member  for schools, without any move by the government, the NEU saw no other option but to take official industrial action supported by the requisite majority of members balloted.

Support on the picket line included Brent Trades Council, a speaker from the Lyon Park Primary School strikers who won most of their demands, and an NEU member from a school in Hackney facing similar academisation. A speaker from Brent Trades Council made a speech expressing solidarity as did Cllr Daniel Kennelly.

NEU co-secretary Jenny Cooper thanked parents for their support and recognised the practical difficulties that strike action would create, but emphasised that the long term aim was to safeguard the future of Byron Court as a locally accountable school, close to the community and offering a broad curriculum with support for SEND pupils and second language learners.

Hank Roberts, veteran anti-academies campaigner, called for a creative approach to the campaign to ensure maximum publicity.

The overall message on the picket line was the need for unity and resistance to efforts to divide and rule.

Striking Byron Court staff call for community support on their picket line on Friday May 17th. They are striking against forced academisation & the resulting worsening of teachers' pay and conditions and children's education

 

Staff of Byron Court Primary School in Brent will be striking against forced academisation on Friday May 17th. This is the first of a series of strikes that will take place in May and June against the takeover of this community school by the Harris Federation.

The National Education Union  have asked for support on their picket line protest from 7.30am to 9am at the school in Spencer Road near South Kenton station.

Lyon Park Primary management coming to the table with new proposals tomorrow (Monday). Petition launched in support of strikers,

 

Lyon Park Primary School strikers appeared to be in good spirits and showing strong solidarity on the fifth day of their strike over worsening conditions of service as a result of a staff restructuring.

The school management is expected to come to the negotiating table with fresh proposals on Monday morning in an effort to reach a settlement.  

If these don't succeed I understand there will be an approach to ACAS on Wednesday.

When I spoke to parents outside the school last week during a leafleting session aimed at informing them of the impact of the restructure, they were keen to say how much they appreciated the work of support staff.  Many talked about the good relationship between staff and pupils, and between parents and the support staff. They told me about the support their children received and how important it was to children with special educational needs or those new to the country at an early stage of leaning English.  They acknowledged the impact of the strike on them and their children but also saw that short-term hurt was better than the long-term damage that would follow if the staff did not stand up against the changes.  Support staff were an important part of the local community.

Lyon Park staff took their struggle to Westminster on Wednesday, Autumn Statement day, when they spoke to an NEU Rally calling for an increase in school funding. Inadequate school funding in the face of rising costs is at the heart of the budget crisis in many London schools, including Lyon Park.

 

A petition has been launched calling on governors to not cut pay and change working conditions:

Dear Governors, 

We are signing this petition to ask you to value our experienced support staff at Lyon Park and to ask you NOT to cut their pay and not to force teaching assistants to cover  [teacher absence] if they are not paid as a higher level teaching assistant.

 

 SIGN HERE

Third day of strike at Lyon Park School to save support staff jobs and pay. Supporting strikers petition launched.

 From Brent National Education Union

 

This morning's picket line

NEU members at Lyon Park Primary School are to strike in a fight to save support staff jobs which are proposed to go in a huge restructure. PICKET LINE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THIS WEEK 7.45-9.30am!

 

Staff at Lyon Park Primary School will be on strike to save the jobs and pay of their hardworking support staff. Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community throughout the pandemic and face their jobs either being axed or a situation of “fire and rehire” to drop their pay. Teachers face a loss of support in the classroom and children will lose out on the vital support they need. The school has cited budget difficulties as the reason for the cuts.

 

100% OF NEU MEMBERS WHO VOTED IN THE BALLOT FOR STRIKE ACTION AT THE SCHOOL VOTED TO STRIKE OVER MULTIPLE DATES THIS MONTH WITH TWO MORE DAYS ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK AND THREE THE WEEK AFTER!

 

Staff and their supporters will protest at a picket line outside the school from 7.45am Tuesday and will continue to try to negotiate with the governors in a bid to reach an agreement. The union has twice attended extra talks with the school management but this has so far failed to address the huge proposed loss in pay for staff. The Executive Headteacher has only recently joined the restructuring talks.

 

Jenny Cooper of the NEU national executive has stated:

 

This isn’t rocket science- if the school agrees to protect staff pay in the restructure, the strikes will be called off. Staff do not enjoy striking- teachers enjoy teaching and support staff enjoy supporting children. If they didn’t they could all get better paid jobs elsewhere!!! Our members should be valued for the highly specialised jobs they do.

 

In the video below the staff explain their contribution to the school and children's education. Outside the school yesterday many parents agreed that the staff were essential to enable their children to make good progess.

 

SIGN A PETITION TO SUPPORT THE STRIKERS HERE

 

Barry Gardiner joins picket line as Lyon Park Primary School closed by strike against pay cuts

 

Lyon Park Primary School was closed today as National Education Union members went on strike to oppose wage cuts that the management want to impose on some staff as part of a restructure.

Brent North MP, Barry Gardiner, visited the picket line and told the spirited strikers:

Thank God you've got a union that actually supports you! All support to you.

It's great that you have the NEU backing you in this dispute. I know it is tough but stick it out.

Actually, you see time and time again that you win because when the union backs you, you keep on going - build the solidarityand that will mean ultimately you can win this dispute.

 

Following talks failure Lyon Park Primary School strikes are back on - the first tomorrow and more next week

The concessions made by Lyon Park Primary School that led to the suspension of planned strikes over the staffing restructure have not been sufficient according to Brent NEU and so strikes are back on.

More talks took place during the suspension period but did not settle the issue in which at least five members of staff  expect to lose up to £4,500 pay a year as a result of the restructure.  The NEU say that in addition teaching assistants are being required to undertake unacceptable levels of cover.

NEU members at the school have voted to continue their action and will be on strike Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. There was an 83% turnout in the ballot of whom 100% voted to strike.

BREAKING: Lyon Park Primary strike suspended pending talks

 Lyon Park Primary strike action has been suspended because the cCuncil stepped in and agreed to fund all the voluntary redundancies applied for and has agreed to facilitate talks, starting tomorrow, to resolve all the other issues. 

 

The NEU will go ahead with the dates of strike action next week if these talks do not resolve the outstanding matters.

NEU refuse to accept job losses and 'fire and rehire' of frontline workers at Lyon Park Primary School and will strike on Tuesday

 

 From Brent Branch of the Natioaal Education Union (NEU)

 

NEU members at Lyon Park Primary School are to strike in a fight to save support staff jobs which are proposed to go in a huge restructure. PICKET LINE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL TUESDAY 7^TH NOVEMBER 7.30-10am!

 

Staff at Lyon Park Primary School will be on strike to save the jobs and pay of their hardworking support staff. Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community throughout the pandemic and face their jobs either being axed or a situation of “fire and rehire” to drop their pay. Teachers face a loss of support in the classroom and children will lose out on the vital support they need. The school has cited budget difficulties as the reason for the cuts. Ironically the school now has an expensive Executive Headteacher, who has not appeared at any of the restructure meetings to date and has not attempted any talks with unions.

 

100% OF NEU MEMBERS WHO VOTED IN THE BALLOT FOR STRIKE ACTION AT THE SCHOOL VOTED TO STRIKE OVER MULTIPLE DATES THIS MONTH.

 

Staff and their supporters will protest at a picket line outside the school from 7.30am Tuesday and will continue to try to negotiate with the governors in a bid to reach an agreement. Staff have shown willingness to accept voluntary redundancies but after a call for applications, the school have now said they cannot accept the applications.

 

Jenny Cooper of the NEU National Executive stated:

 

These striking members are the people who were on the Brent frontline in the pandemic; these are key workers, supporting vulnerable families and working daily with children from the Wembley and Alperton communities. They undertake difficult jobs every day and have expertise and knowledge that should be valued in our schools. If we can afford big sums for executive school leaders, we can afford to retain the pay of our frontline staff, and to fund those that request voluntary redundancy. The NEU will NOT accept fire and rehire and we remain hopeful the school will reach an agreement with us to resolve this dispute in which case the action could be suspended

Brent teachers strike for fully-funded pay increase

 

 

Members of the National Education Union in London went out on strikefor a fully-funded pay increase in large numbers yesterday with some schools closed. 

Brent NEU members were featured in an ITN London News bulletin explaining their case.

'Fully-funded' is a demand that the government increases school budget to enable schools to pay the increase without causing cuts and redundancies.  Teachers do not want to get an increase at the expense of worsening education provision and redundancies amongst poorly paid,  but vital,   largely female, support staff.

A considerable number of Brent schools are facing deficit budgets already and a failure to  achieve full-funding will worsen the crisis. Restructuring of staff, creating voluntary redundacies is taking place across the borough.

At the same time the deteriorating salaries and conditions of service of staff, during a cost of living crisis. means that teachers are leaving the profession in droves and management faces huge difficulties in  recruiting staff.  High house prices or rents mean that young teachers, when they want to start a family, have no choice but to move out of London.

Meanwhile the government is in denial.

There will be another strike on Friday.

Pictures from yesterday's strike (contributed)

TEACHERS ON PICKET LINES AT TWENTY BRENT SCHOOLS AS STRIKES HIT SCHOOLS ACROSS ENGLAND - BRENT TEACHERS SAY ENOUGH! ON REDUNDANCIES

 From Brent National Education Union

 

NEU members across Brent are striking this week in the fight for a fully funded pay rise in education. This follows multiple “restructures” in Brent primary schools which have led to redundancies.

 

Teachers across Brent will be on picket lines this Wednesday and Friday as part of a national strike campaign across England. Cuts to funding in schools and non-funded pay awards have led to redundancies in several Brent schools this term.

 

Teachers and supporters will be on picket lines at 20 Brent schools this week and many more will attend a demonstration in Westminster this Wednesday.

 

Jenny Cooper of Brent NEU and the NEU national executive said:

 

This government does not care about the dire state of our schools- our staffing shortages, our increased class sizes and our lack of money for basic resources. They do not care that those who were key workers in the pandemic are now being made redundant and our SEND kids are being left without adequate support. Well we say “Enough!”- we will not accept this for education- we believe another world is possible.

 

St Mungos workers on strike in Willesden tomorrow - join the picket at 9.30am in Pound Lane, Willesden

 

Brent Trades Council is urging local activists to support workers at the homelessness charity St Mungos when they strike tomorrow. The workers are striking for a decent pay increase after what was described as a 'pitiful' offer. That is contrasted with high salaries for the bosses of the charity.

The picket is at Pound Lodge at115 Pound Lane, Just opposite Willesden bus garage.(nearest tube Dollis Hill on the Jubilee line.

A rally in support of the St Mungo workers  is planned for later this month on June 16th at noon outside Brent Civic Centre. Look out for final details on Wembley Matters. 

98% of NEU Members Who Voted Reject Government Pay Offer

 

From National Education Union

The NEU consultative ballot on the Government's pay offer has been rejected by an overwhelming 98% of NEU teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%.

191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan's offer in less than six days.

It is not surprising that the offer has been rejected. The offer was not fully funded, would have meant teachers in England would see their pay fall even further behind their counterparts in Wales and Scotland and it would represent another two years of real-terms pay cuts.

It would do nothing to reverse the problems of recruitment and retention in our schools.

Commenting on the result, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education, said:

This resounding rejection of the Government's offer should leave Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

The offer shows an astounding lack of judgement and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.

We have today written to the education secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on 27 April and 2 May that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.

These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.

No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK. The offer will do nothing to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to our children and young people's education.

The education secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer. It is now for her to rectify that situation by starting to value education. The NEU is ready as we have stated all along to negotiate with ministers, but this time we hope a lesson has been learnt.  Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect for the profession she is supposedly representing in Government.

To parents we say that we have no wish to disrupt education, indeed our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.

We are asking our school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure that year 11 and year 13 students have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days.

How to get to the National Budget Day Demonstration tomorrow

 With tube on strike you will need to find alternative routes to get into central London. National Rail, the Overground and buses will be running. This information has been provided by Brent National Education Union(NEU) - teachers are on strike on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Chiltern Line trains from Wembley Stadium to Marylebone

 

Carnival mood as Brent teachers stage 'Education Festival' on their second strike day

 

Following a supportive speech from Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, strking teachers paraded along Olympic Way this morning, accompanied by colourful parachutes, musical instruments and whistles, for an Education Festival in Arena Square.

Representatives from local schools spoke along with the NEU Co-Secretary, Jenny Cooper, Roger Cox from Brent Trades Council and myself from the Green Party Trade Union Group.

The carnival atmosphere left little doubt that this strike is far from over. 

Nursery teacher Lucy Cox, dressed as a pink rabbit, addresses the crowd

At the end of the Festival, in a powerful moment,  NEU members held up posters demonstrating their opposition to racism and support for the  Resist Racism national demonstration to be held on Saturday March 18th.

 

 

Determined teachers stage second Brent strike. Plenty of public support.

I joined the picket line at Ark Academy, Wembley, again this morning on the NEU's second strike day and their determination remained strong. The  morning news about Gavin Williamson's opinion of teachers and their unions was well-timed to increase their determination.

We were joined by Labour councillor Ihtesham Malik Afzal. There was plenty of public support from passing pedestrians and vehicle 'tooting for teachers'.

Thousands of striking teachers march on Downing Street

 

 

In these dark days of Tory misrule it was exhilerating to join thousands of striking teachers and other workers on the London march to Downing Street today. Bearing in mind this was just a London march, with other marches taking place regionally, the numbers were impressive and showed the depth of feeling of union members.

Beyond the many humorous placards the mood was of steely determination. This could be a prolonged and escalating action. 

 Police blocked off Whiteall for no apparent reason when half the march was already there

 

 

Writers' Union placard

Barry Gardiner and local councillors join NEU picket line as thousands strike

 

 The NEU picket line at Wembley's Ark Academy was well supported this morning with strking teachers joined by Barry Gardiner MP, Cllrs Kathleen Fraser (Barnhill), Cllr Mili Patel (Harlesden & Kensal Green) and Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam (Wembley Park); Graham Durham (Brent Trades Council), myself (Brent Green Party and Trade Union Group) and staff from Chalkhill Primary whose school was closed by the strike.

The picket covered both entrances to the school and numbers built up throughout the early morning. There were plenty of supportive 'toots' from passing vehicles as well as ambulance and bus drivers.