Public sector workers across the country will be taking part in strike action on 10th July.
Members of UNISON, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will be striking over pay, pensions and workload.
Teachers replaced with unqualified staff
Members of the Isle of Wight NUT will be taking part in a rally outside County Hall in Newport at 11am on the day of the strike.
The NUT say,
Changes to the pay policies and working conditions of teachers are contributing the teacher shortages on the Isle of Wight and across the country. Due to the teacher shortages, schools on the Island are being forced to replace teachers with unqualified staff.
In a recent survey of members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) on the Isle of Wight, 85% said that in their school, children and students had lessons taken by unqualified staff. Schools on the Island still have teacher vacancies to fill for September.
John McGee, Secretary of the NUT Isle of Wight, said,
“The Government is still failing to make progress on our trade dispute over teachers’ pay, pensions and workload. The talks are still only about the implementation of Government policies, not about the fundamental issues we believe to be detrimental to education and the profession.
“For teachers, performance-related pay, working until 68 for a full pension and a heavy workload of up to 60+ hours a week, is unsustainable. Teachers in an Island Primary School have been logging their hours. They found that it came to 67-68 hours a week! Weekends are lost in paperwork. Ask anyone whose daughter, son or spouse is a Teacher and they will tell you the same.
“This action is the direct responsibility of a Government and an Education Secretary who are refusing point-blank to accept the damage which their “reforms” are doing to the teaching profession. Turning teaching into a totally unattractive career choice will most certainly lead to teacher shortages.
“Strike action is a last resort for teachers and we deeply regret the disruption it causes for parents and pupils. This date has been chosen to cause minimum disruption to examinations.
“Teaching is one of the best jobs in the world but is being made one of the worst under Michael Gove and the Coalition. It is time they listened. Michael Gove can still avoid the strike by engaging in serious negotiations on substantive issues.”
School info
Later this week, OnTheWight will be providing details of which schools will remain open, partially open or plan to close on 10th July.
A leaflet for parents has been produced by the NUT, explaining the motivation behind the strike action, which they say, is taken as a last resort.
Image: Kevin Walsh under CC BY 2.0
