35 Birmingham schools where staff are due to strike over equal pay - dates, council reaction & more

GMB Union has announced that Birmingham City Council school workers have voted in favour of supporting strike action.

The union says the decision is rooted in the delay by the authority in settling equal pay claims for teaching assistants and other workers employed by the council to work in schools.

Workers at thirty-five city schools have voted to back the action, with 96 per cent supporting industrial action. No dates have yet been given for the strikes with the GMB stating that these will be given in the coming weeks. They stressed that he action would have a huge impact.

Despite the council’s admission last year that it faced potential liability on equal pay, estimated up to £760 million, not a single woman worker has received the money they’re owed, according to the GMB.

Alice Reynolds, GMB Organiser, said: "Birmingham City Council owe GMB members money after years of stolen wages, the equal pay crisis only ends when our members claims are settled. This is no longer about sending messages; workers are now taking matters into their own hands. Birmingham’s schools cannot run without our members and this strike action will have a huge impact. Council bosses are fast running out of time to fix this."

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council stated that since November 2021, the council has been involved in discussions with the GMB Union regarding equal pay issues. They explained that the council is developing a new strategy for job evaluation with the aim of resolving the equal pay disputes.

A spokesperson for the Birmingham City Council said, “The council would encourage GMB to explore solutions working together, as it remains committed to resolving historic equal pay issues, and settling all legitimate claims from our employees.”

The strike action is expected to have a significant impact - the schools cannot run without the members of the GMB Union, and the strikes will involve teaching assistants, catering staff, and ground workers.

List of schools set to participate in the strike:

Workers at 35 schools across Birmingham have voted in support of the strike action. Some of the schools where GMB members have voted to back strike action include:

Arden Primary School

Beeches Junior School

Benson Community School

Boldmere Infants & Nursery School

Bordesley Green East Nursery School

Bordesley Green Primary School

Chad Vale Primary School

Cherry Orchard Primary School

Chilcote Primary School

Clifton Primary School

Colmore Infant & Nursery School

Colmore Junior School

Elms Farm Primary School

Forestdale Primary School

George Dixon Primary School

Gunter Primary School

Harborne Primary School

Hodge Hill Girls School

Jakeman Nursery School

James Watt Primary

Kings Heath Primary School

Lozells Junior & Infant School

Marsh Hill Nursery

Minworth J & I School

Nelson Mandela School

Newtown Nursery School

Redhill Primary School

St. Benedicts Infants

St. James C E Primary School Handsworth

Stanville Primary School

Wheelers Lane Primary

Worlds End Junior School

Yardley Primary School

Yardley Wood Community Primary School

Yorkmead Junior & Infants School

When will the Birmingham school strikes take place?

No dates for GMB school workers strikes have yet been announced. The GMB said that the strike dates will be unveiled after the strike committee meeting on Thursday, April 25. The GMB Union said that it continues to fight for its members, stating that the equal pay crisis only ends when their members’ claims are settled.