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The picket line outside Pimlico School on Tuesday |
Teachers defend strike over lunch breaks
TEACHERS have hailed a strike outside Pimlico School as a “huge success” after their picket line held firm on Tuesday.
The day of action, which forced the school to close, was called over a plan to cut their lunch breaks to 30 minutes.
The teachers said they were left with “no option” after headteacher Jo Shuter and council chiefs failed to offer them a compromise.
Westminster NUT secretary Padraic Finn read out of list of dozens of supporting unions based across the country, from Cornwall to Carlisle.
He said: “The vast majority of NUT members at the school have supported this – 94 per cent of NUT members did not go into work.
“Members are to be congratulated for standing firm in the face of the bluster and intimidatory tactics of the council.”
The 30-minute lunch plan was ordered by schools chiefs to accommodate three years of major disruption set to begin in February when the iconic building will be demolished.
More than 1,300 pupils will lose 80 per cent of their playground space during the work and Ms Shuter said she wanted them out of the school as quickly as possible.
But the NUT, with 63 of the 140 staff at the school, insist members should not bear the brunt of the council’s penny-pinching refusal to decant the school.
Pimlico NUT representative Gary Kirk danced outside the gates chanting through his megaphone: “Jo Shuter – headteacher of the year – stop stealing our lunch hour.”
With the dust still settling, councillor Nick Yarker, deputy cabinet member for schools, blasting the NUT as “bullies”.
teacher of the year – stop stealing our lunch hour.”
With the dust still settling, councillor Nick Yarker, deputy cabinet member for schools, blasted the NUT as “bullies”.
He said: “The staff who did walk past the picket are to be congratulated for their determination not to be bullied by the unions and for their commitment to the students and the school. The main losers from the strike were the pupils who missed out on a day’s education.
“It seems that some people are determined to do all they can to wreck this process.”
The failure to strike a compromise with the NUT has fired the anti-academy campaign ahead of what promises to be an explosive meeting in City Hall on Monday night.
John Nash, the sponsor of the proposed Pimlico Academy, will enter the cauldron of City Hall to field questions from the scrutiny meeting called by Labour councillors from 7pm.
This week Labour released a Christmas list of “10 monumental blunders” committed by the council in the Pimlico saga. It includes:
l Accusations of historical neglect leading up to the controversial Ofsted inspection.
l A sham consultation with parents over the future of the school.
l Failing to make public the fact that the Future charity is run by two prominent Conservative Party donors
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group said: “The past 12 months has seen at least 10 monumental blunders that have taken Pimlico School backwards rather than forwards. The incompetence of the council has been at an all-time low. Everyone has been alienated – parents, pupils, teaching staff, the trade unions, the local media – making the school’s future even more difficult to manage.”
Cllr Yarker responded: “This entire process has been open and transparent and has rightly attracted robust debate and public scrutiny and we are now looking forward to opening the doors to a new Pimlico Academy in September 2008.”
Pupils and parents were informed of the strike in letters sent out last week. Monday’s protest starts at 5.30pm
He said: “The staff who did walk past the picket are to be congratulated for their determination not to be bullied by the unions and for their commitment to the students and the school. The main losers from the strike were the pupils who missed out on a day’s education.
“It seems that some people are determined to do all they can to wreck this process.”
The failure to strike a compromise with the NUT has fired the anti-academy campaign ahead of what promises to be an explosive meeting in City Hall on Monday night.
John Nash, the sponsor of the proposed Pimlico Academy, will enter the cauldron of City Hall to field questions from the scrutiny meeting called by Labour councillors from 7pm.
This week Labour released a Christmas list of “ten monumental blunders” committed by the council in the Pimlico saga. It includes:
n accusations of historical neglect leading up to the controversial Ofsted inspection.
n A sham consultation with parents over the future of the schoo.
n Failing to make public the fact that the Future charity is run by two prominent Conservative Party donors
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group said: “The past twelve months has seen at least 10 monumental blunders that have taken Pimlico School backwards rather than forwards. The incompetence of the Council has been at an all-time low. Everyone has been alienated - parents, pupils, teaching staff, the trade unions, the local media - making the school’s future even more difficult to manage.”
Cllr Yarker responded: “This entire process has been open and transparent and has rightly attracted robust debate and public scrutiny and we are now looking forward to opening the doors to a new Pimlico Academy in September 2008.”
Pupils and parents were informed of the strike in letters sent out last week. |
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