Teachers set to strike at Crofton Hammond Junior

MEMBERS of the National Education Union (NEU) at Crofton Hammond Junior School in Stubbington are set to take strike action over unacceptable management practices, excessive workloads, unagreed working practices, and bullying and victimisation of the union rep.

A ballot for strike action closed on Friday, March 3, with a turnout of 92 percent and a yes vote of 69 percent. The NEU has served notice of strike action to take place on March 30, April 19-20 and May 2-4.

In December, a public meeting was held at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fareham, attended by approximately 50 parents, teachers and members of the community.

NEU Joint Hampshire Branch Secretary, Sue Kent, said: “I have been supporting our members for some time to resolve these issues with the management of the school. Our members have been working in a toxic environment, felt unsafe at work, and that management were not listening to their concerns. This is completely unacceptable.”

Concerns

“After raising the issues, our members did not feel adequately supported by their employer to feel safe at work. Therefore, reluctantly, they felt they had no choice but to be balloted for strike action to ensure their concerns are taken seriously.”

“An internal process has been dragging on for several months which has created a great deal of uncertainty for our members. We now want Hampshire County Council to get round the table, take our members’ concerns seriously, and engage with our reps and members in school to resolve this dispute to prevent strike action becoming necessary.”

A teacher representing NEU members at the school said: “We came into teaching because we felt passionately about the importance and the lifelong benefits of a good primary education. We would like to be able to come into work and do our very best for our classes and the whole school community.”

“However, for too long now we have felt sick, scared, and anxious almost every day and many of us have had to seek medical support. We would like our employer to work with us to speedily resolve this issue. We are wholeheartedly committed to serving this community and hope to continue to do so.”

PICTURED BY SCHOOL WEBSITE: A view of Crofton Hammond Junior School, located in Stubbington.