Birmingham teachers on strike carry out high-spirited rally in city centre

Teachers taking strike action carried out a spirited protest in Birmingham city centre today (April 27). The industrial action in the city was part of a national walk out - affecting schools across England.

National Education Union (NEU) members had voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay, in which they demand above-inflation increases. This was the first of two as the next strike is set to take place on Tuesday (May 2).

The protest in Birmingham city centre was joined by members of other unions like the Royal College of Nursing and junior doctors. It began around 11.3am at Centenary Square and the group marched past the Town Hall towards New Street.

They shouted chants demanding “fair pay” and were accompanied with songs by community threatre group Banner Theatre. The long-line of protestors seek better pay that would not just be appropriate with the current inflation rates but also wanted to ensure that pay rises don’t come out of any schools’ budgets.

There were also picket lines outside of schools, like Holy Trinity Catholic School in Small Heath, Grestone Primary in Handsworth Wood, and other parts of the city as well.

Holy Trinity Catholic School had shared advice for parents on its website: “As you are aware, the National Education Union (NEU), in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, have called upon their members to strike.

This action has been called with the intention to secure better pay and working conditions for teaching staff and increase staff funding allocation for schools.

“We appreciate that industrial action is disruptive, and you may have been required to change your plans or working arrangements whilst this action is ongoing.

“Whilst we always endeavour to keep school open where possible, ensuring the health and safety of our students must take priority. All members of staff at Holy Trinity, are united in wanting an end to this dispute as soon as possible.”

Union apologises to parents

Dr Mary Bousted, a co-head of the National Education Union, apologised to parents while accusing the government of refusing to get into negotiations, according to the Guardian.

“I apologise to the parents and say that this is not what the National Education Union wants to do, it’s not what its members want to do,” she said on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “But I think parents have to consider that every day now, there is an ongoing crisis in our schools.”

“This is not an education service which is able to function properly any more because of the ongoing crisis in our schools. Members would not be taking strike action, when they’re already inadequately paid, if they felt there was any alternative. We want to negotiate. We want to end this dispute.”

She added that class sizes in secondary and primary schools are at a record-high and there was a staffing crisis. “It’s not any longer a question, actually, of fairness for teachers. It is a question of supply and demand – and we have lost teacher supply,” she said.