News Children off school due to staff strike
Five schools in the Goole area closed this week following two-day strike action by non-teaching staff.
Vermuyden School, Howden School & Technology College, Marshlands Primary, Kingsway Primary and Snaith School were closed yesterday and today as teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors and caretakers staged a walk-out as part of a national strike by local-government workers over pay.
The action was backed by both the UNISON and TGWU-Unite unions, whose members are unhappy about what they claim is a derisory 2.45 per cent, below-inflation pay rise for its members.
A spokesman for the East Riding Council said this week: "The council will, as far as is reasonably practical, seek to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and services for vulnerable children and adults will be maintained.
"The council will seek to keep residents updated through the local press and council website.
"Information on service impact and closures, including schools, is being updated via the council website on a regular basis as circumstances change."
Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON - the UK's biggest public-sector union - said: "The pounds in local-government workers' pockets are turning to pennies. The cost of everyday essentials like milk, bread, petrol, gas and electricity are going through the roof - our members cannot afford to take another cut in their pay."
A total of 600,000 local-government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are thought to have taken part in strike action.
A total of 2,911 pupils in the Goole area will be off school over the two days of the strike action.
It is thought the main reason behind the school closures was the fact that there would be no lunchtime supervisors to watch over the children at break times.
Rubbish collections in the area are not affected by the strike
Published on 17th July 2008 in News.
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