Following a two day strike before half term by teachers belonging to the NASUWT trade union, a further three days of industrial action at Swinton High School Academy was due to begin tomorrow. However, tonight the strike was dramatically suspended following a meeting between the school and trade union representatives.
The teachers went on strike over excessive workloads, relentless monitoring and bureaucracy, and numeric targets which they argued meant them working up to sixty hours a week and was having a negative effect in the classrooms.
Now it appears that Head Teacher, Mark Harrison, could be set to compromise...
"Following further discussions tonight, the NASUWT have agreed to suspend their strike action to allow the school time to look at alternative target setting methods" he told the Salford Star tonight.
Meanwhile, Karen Hopwood, NASUWT National Executive Member for Greater Manchester, told the Star: "The strike action has been suspended pending further discussions."
Swinton High will now be open as normal while the talks progress.
Update: 4th November: A further statement from Head Teacher, Mark Harrison...
"Following discussions tonight, the NASUWT has agreed to suspend strike action this week to allow Governors time to investigate and consider alternative target setting processes for staff. A draft for consideration will be tabled to Governors on the 18th November with a follow up meeting with the NASUWT representatives on the 19th November."
For a full background see previous Salford Star article `Enough Is Enough' Teachers Strike Over Sixty Hour Weeks and Huge Workloads click here