Council urges Fareham school teachers not to go on strike amid fears it will impact children

As reported, members of the National Education Union (NEU) at Crofton Hammond Junior School in Stubbington are due to go on strike after being balloted again for strike action despite a vote not meeting the threshold for industrial action. The school’s headteacher Ali Russell is currently away from the role due to ‘personal circumstances’ with Denis Foster put in as acting headteacher.

A ballot for strike action saw a turnout of 92 per cent and a yes vote of 69 per cent – with the NEU serving notice of strike action to take place on March 30, April 19-20 and May 2-4.

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NEU joint Hampshire branch secretary, Sue Kent, said earlier this month: ‘I have been supporting our members for some time to resolve these issues with the management of the school. Our members have been working in a toxic environment, felt unsafe at work, and that management were not listening to their concerns. This is completely unacceptable.

‘After raising the issues, our members did not feel adequately supported by their employer to feel safe at work. Therefore, reluctantly, they felt they had no choice but to be balloted for strike action to ensure their concerns are taken seriously. An internal process has been dragging on for several months which has created a great deal of uncertainty for our members.

‘We now want Hampshire County Council to get round the table, take our members’ concerns seriously, and engage with our reps and members in school to resolve this dispute to prevent strike action becoming necessary.’

But now Hampshire County Council has called for the NEU to reconsider its proposed action amid fears it will impact children. A statement from the council said: ‘The local authority is supporting the coordination of an inquiry, commissioned by Crofton Hammond Junior School, into the concerns that have been raised by the National Education Union (NEU).

‘This is a necessarily complex process that has required time to ensure the full scale of the process is conducted thoroughly. The process is now in its final stages. The local authority has also met on several occasions with the NEU during this time in an attempt to resolve concerns of union members and to avoid industrial action.

‘Given that due process to address the union’s concerns is being followed, industrial action would seem premature and the county council has concerns about the additional impact this would have on children, who have already experienced prolonged periods of disruption to their learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic and recent industrial action nationally. The local authority would urge the NEU to reconsider their intention to take strike action and to await the outcome of the inquiry.’

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A teacher representing NEU members at the school previously said: ‘However, for too long now we have felt sick, scared, and anxious almost every day and many of us have had to seek medical support. We would like our employer to work with us to speedily resolve this issue.’