Cumbria schools to decide on closures as teacher strike looms

Teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) in Cumbria voted overwhelmingly for strike action and will walk out for four initial days of action in February and March.

Individual schools will have to announce in the coming days whether or not they will close their doors to pupils on February 1.

The NEU have said that the union has seen a surge in membership since the strike announcement with over 22,000 teachers joining in the last week alone – including over 100 in Cumbria.

According to the union teachers have lost “23 per cent in real-terms pay since 2010, and support staff 27 per cent over the same period.”

Teachers have been awarded an average 5 per cent pay rise this year, which the union say is some 7% behind inflation and has caused teachers and support staff to leave the profession.

The strike will cause major disruption and schools have been urged by the NEU general secretary to announce if they are closing in the coming days.

NEU general secretary, Mary Bousted said: “They have to make the call before then”

“They know how many NEU members are in their school – many more will have joined since the ballot – and they have to make their decision on the basis that the union has called its members out and the members will take action.”

Head teachers and school governing bodies are responsible for determining whether or not a school can safely open on any given day.

This might mean full closure, particularly if key personnel have chosen to join the picket lines but otherwise schools can choose to stand down only part of the school.

Cumbria County Council say they have “convened meetings” between Head Teachers, HR advisors and Trade Unions to help facilitate plans for the upcoming days.

On Wednesday, February 1 there will be an NEU rally at 11am in Carlisle city centre with speakers from the NEU alongside other union figures from the UCU and PCS.

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