A primary school in Hull had to partially close due to strike action today which is set to continue tomorrow.
Parents of children at St Andrews C of E Primary School told Hull Live they were informed about a potential strike at around 3pm the day before, Tuesday. A second strike is set to go ahead tomorrow and there are a five further dates of potential strikes in June.
This morning, parents were told some classes would still be running. One parent said there had been a last-minute scramble to arrange childcare, with one child going to work with their father and another having to be looked after by their grandparent.
In a letter sent to parents that was seen by Hull Live, the schools’ governors said: “We understand that the uncertainty and short notice regarding the potential industrial action may have caused frustration for families, and we acknowledge that, as a governing body, we could have communicated the possibility of disruption earlier than this afternoon.”
Other possible strike days are:
- Wednesday 11th June
- Thursday 12th June
- Tuesday 17th June
- Wednesday 18th June
- Thursday 19th June
The National Education Union said grievances raised in the dispute included how staff sick days were dealt with, staff breaks, and supervision of children at break times.
Paula Burgin, Joint District and Branch Secretary, Hull NEU, claimed: “Staff have been raising concerns for months with no resolution and entered into formal dispute with their employer at the end of March. The governors were notified of strike action more than four weeks ago.
“The first strike day was planned for 21st May but staff voted to suspend this as a show of good faith as they felt some progress was made in addressing their demands for change. Since then, members feel that insufficient progress has been made resulting in their decision to take strike action today 4th June and tomorrow 5th June.
“The employer must take concrete steps to show that they are taking their concerns seriously, with a clear timeline for action to give the staff the reassurance they need that they are not being placated with lip service.”
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A spokesperson for the school told Hull Live: “The Governing Body of St Andrews Primary School regrets that the school is partially closed today due to strike action by National Education Union (NEU) members.
“The NEU has raised a number of concerns with the Governing Body regarding the school, and the Governing Body is committed to work with them to address the concerns that have been raised.
“We will ensure that all parents are kept fully informed about whether there will be any further strike action, however we hope to be able to avoid this by having constructive dialogue with Trade Union representatives.”