TEACHERS belonging to a leading union at Llantwit Major School have begun four days of industrial action over their working conditions and worsening pupil behaviour.
Last Thursday (26th March), teaching staff affiliated to the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) staged the first of their strike days, and it is set to be followed by further industrial action after the Easter holidays with walkouts scheduled for 15th, 23rd and 28th April.
It came a week after a one-day strike by 30 members of the National Education Union (NEU), which saw the secondary school shut for the majority of its 900+ pupils.
NASUWT members held a picket line at the entrance to the school, and only pupils in key exam years 11, 12 and 13 came in for lessons. The NASUWT said that despite more than a year of negotiations, its members have seen worsening conditions over workload, pupil behaviour and their own health, safety and welfare.
Matt Wrack, General Secretary for the NASUWT said: “Teachers at Llantwit Major School are being used and abused by school leaders. They are forced to work more than their contracted time and forced to work with violent pupils without safeguards from management. This is a school, not a Victorian workhouse. All these teachers are asking for is basic workplace rights.
“We have spent over a year negotiating and even cancelling strike action as a gesture of goodwill, but that goodwill has not been returned. Though we remain open to talks with leaders, those talks must be undertaken in good faith and result in meaningful improvements for teachers.”
The Central South Consortium Joint Education Service carried out a review of the school in September 2024 that highlighted serious issues with pupil behaviour and the NASUWT says that its affiliated teachers feel the issues raised in the report have not been resolved.
The union claims the school has failed to implement an effective behaviour policy that keeps staff and pupils safe, meaning that children who physically assault and verbally abuse their teachers are kept at school, creating health and safety risks.
The NASUWT also says that school leaders continue to ask teachers to complete tasks that are not included in their contracted working time.
Neil Butler, the NASUWT’s National Official for Wales, said: “We have serious concerns about the welfare of teachers at Llantwit Major. It’s bad enough that they are overworked and subject to abuse in the workplace, but they are now also at risk of redundancy.
“It’s time to ask some difficult questions about this school. Why is there a leadership team of 13 managers, but teacher workload continues to increase? The current headteacher came in at a time when the school had a £600,000 reserve but the school now blames redundancies on a £650,000 deficit. Where has that money gone, and why has the headteacher still had three pay increases in that time?
“We have repeatedly requested school budget details from the governing body, but they have not supplied them. Are they attempting to hide something? Why will they not engage? And why is the school telling parents that the strike action is over a dispute on Planning, Preparation and Assessment entitlement, when our legal documentation blatantly states otherwise? Something is not right here.
“These leaders seem to care little that their employees are unwell with anxiety and now at risk of losing their jobs. As employers, they would do well to remember that they have a duty of care.”
The Vale Council and the school issued a joint statement following the first day of strike action. It said: “Llantwit Major Comprehensive School was closed to certain year groups on Thursday, March 26 as some staff took industrial action, coordinated by the NASUWT.
“This comes after extensive negotiations between the school’s Leadership Team, Board of Governors, Vale Council and trade union representatives to try and avoid this situation. It is disappointing that the statement made by the NASUWT does not reflect the tone of those talks or the steps taken by all parties to resolve the dispute.
“Previously, discussions have been successful, with strike action prevented last year after nearly all points relating to the dispute were resolved.
“More recently, in positive meetings between all parties, including our trade union colleagues, we have asked ACAS to support us as we continue to work towards a satisfactory outcome for all concerned.”
By Marcus Stead – News Reporter
- On Wednesday 1st April, Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official for Wales said: “NASUWT has, for the time being, suspended strike action at Llantwit Major in order to progress welcome negotiations.”
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