Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School will take two consecutive days of strike action on Wednesday 17th April and Thursday 18th April over adverse management and employer practices, potential job loss, health and safety, working conditions and redundancy. The action is part of eleven days of strike action planned through April, May and June. The first day of strike action took place on Wednesday 10th April.
This week, worried teachers expect to learn the outcome of the ongoing redundancy process at the school, which is a key issue at the heart of this dispute. It is widely felt that the process has been poorly conducted by school management and has only come to pass due to years of financial mismanagement. NASUWT, alongside many of the school’s parents, is calling for an immediate pause in the process whilst concerns over poor management and governance are independently investigated. Powys LA's Education Directorate continues to avoid negotiations with NASUWT and is failing to address issues raised in mid-March.
In a bid to further raise their concerns, members at Llangors are now also taking part in action short of strike action. This means they will not perform any duties outside those specified in their contracts, and will not work outside of their directed time.
Foundation Governors at the school have resigned in support of its teachers, and concerned parents have begun a petition to halt the redundancy process which has already garnered over 500 signatures.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“The redundancy process at Llangors is time sensitive, yet Powys County Council seem to be running down the clock. This approach is not in the interests of the school community and will only serve to escalate the dispute.
“We have sought resolution and been met with chaos. The breakdown in governance at the school is of grave concern. Statutory processes designed to protect the school’s staff and pupils are falling apart.
“Pupils at Llangors need their teachers. Their education should not be sabotaged by years of poor management decisions or apathy from the local authority.”
Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official Wales, said:
“On the day of last week’s picket line, unnecessary disruption to pupils and parents was caused when a separately run nursery based on the school premises was closed.
“The headteacher's decision, communicated to parents at short notice, came despite the nursery staff not being involved at all in the industrial action. NASUWT is perplexed and dismayed at this decision. To be clear, this industrial action only involves teachers at the school, not those employed in the separate nursery – yet another example of adverse and chaotic leadership. The LA must act now.”
Helen Johns, NASUWT National Executive Member, added:
“Understandably, parents at Llangors CiW Primary have felt it necessary to take action in organising a petition calling for a pause in the school’s current redundancy process. When there are more questions than answers, and when there is no transparency or serious interaction from those in authority, it is no wonder that the community organises and feelings run deep.
“More than a month has been wasted whilst the LA has failed to engage seriously with NASUWT. These are not trivial issues of a personal nature but legitimate concerns over the management of the school, the public purse, and the way the school’s governors are led.
“Most importantly, this is about the quality of pupils’ education.”
