Attack on pensions sparks an historic first teachers’ strike at private schools trust

Bosses want to withdraw from the Teachers Pension Scheme

Over 1,500 teachers and support staff at 23 independent schools were set to begin the first of six planned strike days from Thursday of this week.

Members of the NEU union at schools belonging to the Girls Day Schools Trust are fighting to stop bosses withdrawing from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

NEU members were set to rally in central London with general secretaries Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted, set to take place in central London on Thursday lunchtime.

And they have said they will strike again on 23 and 24 February, and the first three days in March, if bosses don’t back down. Bosses’ plans could cost teachers thousands of pounds in lost pensions. Yet the Trust has healthy finances and plans to spend millions on new buildings.

The strike—the first in the Trust’s 149 year history—comes after a ballot returned a 95 percent vote in favour of the action, on an 84 percent turnout.

71 percent of staff are NEU members with a significant amount joining during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The schools on strike are:

• Blackheath High School, London
• Brighton Girls
• Bromley High School, London
• Croydon High School, London
• Howell’s School, Llandaff, Cardiff
• Kensington Prep School, London
• Newcastle High School for Girls
• Northampton High School
• Northwood College for Girls, London
• Norwich High School for Girls
• Notting Hill & Ealing High School, London
• Nottingham Girls’ High School
• Oxford High School
• Portsmouth High School
• Putney High School, London
• Royal High School Bath
• Sheffield Girls’ School
• Shrewsbury High School
• South Hampstead High School, London
• Streatham & Clapham High School, London
• Sutton High School, London; Sydenham High School, London
• Wimbledon High School, London

Send messages of solidarity to Kester Brewin and Emily Scurra at [email protected]