NEU members working for Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) schools in Birmingham, Coventry and Staffordshire have scored a stunning victory.
It's not often that we hear about workers securing a total capitulation from the bosses. But in this case it appears that NEU has not only forced ATLP to reverse all of the proposed job cuts, but the leadership of the trust have resigned en masse.
The Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers have stepped down along with the Trust chair and vice chair. Significantly the position of the union has also been strengthened with union committees agreed to be set up in every ATLP school, and a doubling of membership from 400 to 800 in the course of the dispute.
This should add further strength to teachers' demands that the government scrap the parasitic academy system altogether and return all schools to local democratic control so that every penny is spent on education rather than bonuses for fat cat bosses.
Nicky Downes, former NEU executive member, who has been building support for the strike in Coventry, said: “The victory at ATLP will send ripples across Coventry schools. Heads and CEOs know that the NEU will be fighting for negotiating bodies in Trusts and better working conditions for all staff. We will not rest until there’s an end to the siphoning off of funds centrally to pay CEOs and senior leaders exorbitant wages.”
Jane Nellist, also a former national executive member from Coventry, said: "This victory against the threat of more than 100 redundancies at over 24 schools demonstrates the widespread anger of education workers across the country over the lack of funding and increasing workload."
This should add further strength to education workers’ and community demands that the government scrap the parasitic academy system altogether and return all schools to local democratic control, so that every penny is spent on education rather than bonuses for fat cat bosses.
A striking teacher told us: “It gives me and my colleagues great comfort to know that there were members of the Socialist Party and public fighting with us and offering support. It meant the world to know this.”