Oulton Academy: Teaching staff enter sixth day of strike at Leeds school - as action set to continue next term
Teachers have vowed that strike action will continue into next term, after spending a sixth day on the picket line outside a Leeds school.
An ongoing row over terms and conditions saw staff at Oulton Academy walk out again today (July 17). It is the third time they have walked out this week - and the sixth since last month.
The Leeds Branch of the National Education Union (NEU) first entered the dispute with the Carlton Academy Trust, which runs the school, back in June.
According to the union, the trust has refused to incorporate national terms and conditions into new and future contracts for staff at the academy.
It has prompted worries over sick pay, among other issues.
Rachel Ferraby, a learning support assistant at the school, said: “We are very disappointed. We don’t want to be out on strike at all; it’s not something we take lightly at all. We’d rather be in school with the students.
“We hope that there will be more negotiations between the union and the trust but, at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a willingness to meet.
“The action will continue into next term if we don’t get a resolution. We have a mandate to strike until December. We don’t want to have to use that, but if there’s no agreement then we’re prepared to continue.”
She added: “The trust has said that it is offering a credible solution, which is a ‘guarantee’ that it says would protect the current staff in school while they’re employed at Oulton - but it is still not offering the national terms and conditions.
“Within the trust, there seems to be a misconception that the NEU wants to dictate about policies. But we just want to work together on a clear agreement that protects everyone across the board.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the trust insisted that “credible solutions” to staff complaints have been offered.
It said: “Carlton Academy Trust regrets that the Leeds NEU has chosen to take industrial action, which only serves to interrupt the education of students and inconvenience parents.
“Their complaints have never previously caused issue, despite the provisions they object to being in operation for many years.
“It appears that there has been a determination to strike despite whatever response the trust makes.
“This includes balloting for strike action when the trust was in constant communication and meeting with the NEU, when their stated policy is to 'only strike as a last resort when negotiations have broken down'.”
The statement continued: “The trust has offered credible solutions to all three grounds for industrial action, including a full legal guarantee to ensure continuation of national terms and conditions throughout their employment at the school.
“However, these have been rejected, in addition to an insistence on punitive terms that would effectively cede control of the school and trust to them.
“Carlton Academy Trust is proud of the way it looks after for all its employees which can be evidenced through its extensive 'Carlton Cares' employee benefits package and consistently high standards of staff satisfaction obtained through regular internal surveys.”