Teaching assistants and other workers at Mulgrave School represented by UNISON, GMB and Unite are walking out in response to Greenwich Council plans that involve scrapping flexible working arrangements, creating additional unpaid duties and cutting the pay of remaining workers.
Staff represented by the three unions are furious at the plans and will be on the picket line to make their voices heard.
The school and local authority have repeatedly failed to disclose the accounts to justify any restructuring and have called in neighbouring Hackney council to help support the restructure due to a lack of resource and expertise within Greenwich council.
UNISON London regional organiser Dick Traynor said: “Staff at the school are dedicated to their jobs, despite low wages and increasing workloads. Parents and the wider community rely on them to ensure pupils get the best education possible.
“But school workers are the ones being forced to pay the price. Those that won’t lose their jobs face a pay cut and will be on worse contracts.
“School managers have ordered savage cuts without coming clean about why they’re needed or what other options there are. Workers have been left with little choice but to strike over these unacceptable plans.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “These staff are the backbone of Mulgrave School, without whom it simply cannot function. Yet Greenwich council is seeing fit to embark on an ill-thought through restructuring that would ruin the lives. Mulgrave’s management and the council should be ashamed of such behaviour.”
“Our members won’t stand for such behaviour and they have the complete support of their union.”
Stuart Fegan, GMB senior organiser said: “It’s quite frankly shameful that the headteacher and senior management team at Mulgrave Primary School have not made any proposals to resolve our members’ concerns, despite meeting with us last week for that very purpose.
“Our members are their staff and are simply seeking assurances that will protect the standards of education they seek to provide their students.
“GMB would like to thank the students and parents at Mulgrave Primary School for their understanding throughout this dispute, as we know they also support our members’ struggle against this ill-thought out and unnecessary restructure.”
Future industrial action may be announced in due course.
Notes to editors:
– Media are invited to attend picket line demonstrations on Wednesday for photos and interviews at Mulgrave Primary School, Rectory Place, Greenwich SE18 from 7am to 12pm
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Rosie Sammut M: 07958 063188 E: r.sammut@unison.co.uk
David Carnell M: 07718 66592 E: david.carnell@unitetheunion.org
Jon Parker-Dean M: 07813 542050 E: jon.parker-dean@gmb.org.uk
