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Teachers’ strike action over 10-minute break
AS exam season reaches its peak, striking teachers formed picket lines outside Pimlico School yesterday (Thursday) over losing 10 minutes of their lunch break.
The two-day walkout – the third strike since November – was prompted by headteacher Jo Shuter’s refusal to extend the staff lunch break from 35 to 45 minutes.
Ms Shuter has slammed the action as churlish – with a matter of weeks until the end of term and pupils slavishly revising for exams. The council also disputes the figure, claiming teachers currently have a 40-minute break and are in fact striking over five minutes.
The action has been seen by some as a parting shot at Ms Shuter’s reign as she prepares to step down from the post in July. Around a dozen lessons were cancelled over the two days, although all exams went ahead according to schedule.
Teachers accuse the headteacher of backtracking on a deal to restore the lunchbreak to its original length before building work started on the new academy.
Ms Shuter said: “I think it’s completely unreasonable and such a shame. All the the staff have done so much to improve Pimlico and the action completely mars the end of term.
“This is the abiding memory children will take with them when the school closes. It’s a very sad way to end things and I honestly don’t understand why they did it.”
The lunch break was cut to half an hour in January in order to shorten the school day and minimise disruption from building work, but following negotiations, Ms Shuter agreed to a return to 45 minutes from June 2.
At the time she said that 1,300 pupils faced three years of “hell” as the demolition work goes on around them, reasoning it was sensible to get them off the site as soon as possible.
In a secret ballot, National Union of Teachers members at the school overwhelming voted for strike action.
Secretary of Westminster NUT Padraic Finn said: “The head’s claim that a proper lunch break for teachers would cause health and safety problems is simply not credible. Everyone is hopping mad about it. She has produced no evidence in support of this assertion.
“Jo Shuter’s decision to break the agreement so close to the end of her reign at Pimlico seems particularly bizarre given the commitment from the council that the lunch-break from September will be at least 45 minutes. I don’t know why she would want to pick a fight with teachers.”
Council education chiefs have denounced the action as “senseless” and “counterproductive” and say the lunch break already stands at 40 minutes.
Bob Garnett, chairman of the Interim Executive Board, said: “To strike over a five minute time difference is not only senseless and counterproductive but greatly disrupts the pupils’ education. We’re deeply disappointed that a minority of staff at Pimlico School have decided to strike.
“The school’s students will miss out on two days of valuable lessons because of the actions of a small number of NUT members who insist on having five minutes longer for their lunch break.”
Another teacher and president of the NUT, Bridget Chapman said: “I am disappointed by Mr Garnett’s attitude to the teachers at Pimlico School. They work extremely hard to give students the best education possible and they continue to do a fantastic job under extremely difficult circumstances. Mr Garnett also needs to get his facts straight; the majority of teachers at Pimlico support this action.” |
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