11th October 2023

Dear Parents and Carers

Proposed Industrial Action

I am writing to inform you about the planned industrial action that has been announced by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Education Union (NEU).

The undertaken by the NASUWT commenced June last term and this action continues to take the form of action short of strike (ASOS). This means that teachers may choose to not carry out certain activities outside of their core teaching and safeguarding responsibilities. For example, this may include not attending meetings outside of their contractual hours or undertaking activities before school, during lunchtime or after school.  Due to this action we may continue to see some disruption to the normal operation of the school. I understand this may cause some inconvenience and disruption to parents and pupils. I will continue to keep you updated. The NASUWT action is expected to continue until further notice.

The NEU have announced strike action scheduled for Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th October, to take place for both whole days. It is expected a number of staff will not attend work on that day, leading to disruption for the school.  Consequently, all schools around the Island have been asked to have comprehensive contingency plans in place to assess and mitigate the potential impacts of the proposed strike. Our school has undertaken a detailed risk assessment to understand the impact of the proposed action on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th October. This will mean St Luke’s school will be closed on both days.

As a headteacher, I am committed to doing all I can to avoid the interruption of the learning of our children, but my main priority is for their safety at school. I must ensure that there are safe levels of supervision and that first aid trained staff are available at all times. As a consequence, I urge you to prepare by making your own necessary childcare, work and any other arrangements for the proposed industrial action on 17th and 18th October.

For clarity, the action proposed by all three unions is not against the school itself but arises from a dispute about pay between teachers’ trade unions and the employer, the States Employment Board (SEB).

 

If this situation changes, I will write to you again with an update.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me, using the contact details below.

Yours sincerely