Teachers’ strike set to cause havoc in Yorkshire

The two biggest teaching unions are holding one-day strikes in both Yorkshire and the Midlands which they expect to affect the majority of the 4,500 schools in the two regions.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT is also holding a regional strike in eastern England tomorrow and further strikes will be held on October 17 in the North East, Cumbria, London, the South East and South West.

Union leaders said teachers are angry at the way the profession is being treated by Education Secretary Michael Gove.

However the Department for Education has condemned the strike action which it says will disrupt parents’ lives and hold back children’s education.

The dispute centres on changes to public sector workers’ pensions which will see teachers work longer, pay in more and get less and also on planned changes to the way teachers are paid.

The unions object to plans to scrap national pay agreements, remove pay rises based on length of service and introduce performance-related pay.

The regional strikes are set to be followed by a national strike before Christmas.

Marches and rallies will take place in Leeds and Sheffield tomorrow.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “The attacks on teachers are relentless.

“The reward for their hard work, dedication and commitment has been a vicious assault on their pay, conditions and professionalism. Teachers are angered by the recklessness of the Secretary of State’s continuing failure to take seriously their concerns and engage in genuine discussions to address them.”

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: “There can be no doubt left about the feeling of anger towards this Government’s treatment of the teaching profession.

“The Education Secretary should do as his counterparts in Wales have done and enter into meaningful dialogue with the NUT and NASUWT.

“No teacher takes strike action lightly but the intransigence of this Education Sectary has left teachers with no choice. We cannot stand by and watch our profession be systematically attacked and undermined. There needs to be a change in Government’s attitude to teachers and education.”

North Yorkshire County Council is one of the first in the region to produce a list showing parents how the action will affect local schools. It shows that 61 schools are to close, another 44 will be partially closed and just nine so far have confirmed that they will remain fully open.

A spokeswoman for the authority said: “We are not a party to this national dispute but are offering support and advice to schools, as well as liaising closely with the professional associations involved. The local authority strongly encourages governing bodies and headteachers to keep schools open wherever possible to maintain continuity of educational provision, taking into account health and safety requirements.

“Should governors and head-teachers feel it necessary to close their school, parents must be informed at the earliest possible stage and the local authority notified of any full or partial closures.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government’s measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more.

“In a recent poll, 61 per cent of respondents supported linking teachers’ pay to performance and 70 per cent either opposed the strikes or believed that teachers should not be allowed to strike at all.

“All strikes will do is disrupt parents’ lives, hold back children’s education and damage the reputation of the profession.”