Teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) have formally ended strike action at Wirral’s Kingsway Primary School.
Members of the NEU had voted to take strike action in a dispute in December 2020 over Covid-related health and safety measures, equal treatment and fairer management practices that promote the wellbeing of staff and pupils.
This decision comes after the suspension of previous strike action both before and after Christmas when the NEU managed to finally bring the school and the local authority to the negotiating table and secured several improvements for members through an enabling agreement that had been reached by the Union and the employer at the eleventh hour.
The school and the local authority have now implemented all the 23 points of the enabling agreement, except two points which they promised the new headteacher who will start her tenure in September will implement in consultation with the recognised trade unions in the Autumn term.
Bora Oktas, Regional Officer of the NEU, said, “Our members have agreed to suspend previous strike actions over their concerns for the health and safety of staff and pupils to allow for further consideration and consultation.
“We have entered into these talks in a constructive manner with a view to resolving this dispute in an amicable way. Thanks to our members’ determination and hard work, progress has been made in those talks and they have now agreed to formally end their dispute.”
“We congratulate our Kingsway members on behalf of everyone in the NEU. I take particular pride in the fact that our members, who have worked tirelessly to protect the pupils and vulnerable staff in the school during these difficult times of Covid, have delivered quality education and care for students at Kingsway Primary.”
Ian Harris, NEU Wirral Branch Secretary, said, “The school have considered a proposed framework agreement to resolve our industrial dispute. The agreement has now been fully endorsed by the school and it sets out a foundation for a more democratic and safer workplace.”
Peter Middleman, North West Regional Secretary of the NEU, said, “Over the last eight months the value of promoting good industrial relations and acting on the professional concerns of staff has been highlighted at Kingsway and we congratulate everyone who has contributed including our members, the new school leadership and the local authority. We’re confident that the school has a brilliant future ahead of it which will be welcome news to students, parents and the wider Wallasey community”.
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