NUT Strike Action To Close Ten Percent of Cheshire's Schools

11.18.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 24th Apr 2008

David Laws MP: Concerned that strike will damage the education of children at a key time of the year

Thirty-four Cheshire schools are expected to be closed today due to strike action by members of the National Union of Teachers. A further 64 schools will only open partially - some reduced to just a few classes functioning normally.

Over 1000 members of the NUT - Cheshire's largest teaching union - will be taking industrial action over pay, which is expected to affect around 30,000 pupils.

Nationally at least a million children at 8,000 schools will be barred from lessons today as striking teachers trigger acute shortages across the country. A third of schools will be turning some pupils away and one in six will close entirely.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws MP said:

"I do not support this strike. I am concerned that it will damage the education of children at a key time of the year, inconvenience many parents and undermine the image of the teaching profession.

"I understand the NUT's view that the pay award is low in relation to inflation, but it is the outcome of an independent pay review process and it has been accepted by the other teaching unions.

"Currently the NUT is the only teaching union which is outside the Government's 'social partnership' with the other teaching unions, and I would like to see Ed Balls inviting the NUT into this partnership.

"Given the importance of education, we should be trying to move to a presumption that teaching unions will not take strike action.

"The Government should open talks with all unions to see how the independent pay review process could be strengthened to help both sides to agree such an approach."

Related Link:

Cheshire County Council list of schools affected by strike.