The National Education Union (NEU) has now named further strike dates, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday every week until the Easter holidays, for teachers in the 23 private schools run by the Girls Day School Trust (GDST).
The teachers have already completed six days of well supported strikes to defend their pensions against the threat of being removed from the Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS). The NEU naming these dates, an effective escalation, is entirely correct.
Having already won some small softeners from the GDST, members were dismayed when the management refused proposed ACAS talks. Members had decided to offer to waive the financial enticements offered to them in return for remaining in the TPS.
The new dates brought the management back to the negotiations and the strikes for 8-10 March have been suspended for the talks at ACAS. Solidarity does not believe that the strikes should have been suspended: we are more likely to win if we keep the pressure on during talks. However, as more dates have been named, they may be sufficient to win the dispute.
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