Protest closes 23 schools in Westminster, as teachers and workers walk-out over public-sector pensions
Published: 01 July 2011
by CONRAD LANDIN
PUPILS turned out in support of their striking teachers yesterday (Thursday) as tens of thousands of public sector workers crowded the streets of Westminster in defence of public sector pensions.
Twenty-three Westminster schools were forced to close fully by the teachers’ walk-out, while a further 13 faced partial closure.
At St Marylebone Church of England school, in Marylebone, senior management had hoped to maintain lessons for most pupils but were forced to send Year 9 and 10 pupils home early at 2.35pm.
Nationally, it was reported that the heads of academies, which lie outside local authority control, were encouraging staff to stay at work. But while King Solomon and Pimlico academies were not affected at Paddington and Westminster academies the gates remained shut.
A programme of free tennis lessons was laid on in Regent’s Park in an attempt to ease childcare chaos among working parents, but the crowds heading for Methodist Central Hall, where a rally was held, included hundreds of sixth-form students marching in solidarity.
All of the borough’s schools received a letter from Mayor of London Boris Johnson urging heads to keep schools open. The Mayor also called for legal restrictions on strikes which would invalidate ballots if less than 50 per cent of workers took part in the vote.
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the biggest teaching union on strike, told the West End Extra: “It’s no surprise knowing Johnson’s political views that he would choose to write this letter.
“But the Mayor should be doing what he can to protect education, and if these reforms are passed, the damage will be significantly worse.
“We do sincerely regret the disruption but we’ve tried in every other way to change the government’s mind, and striking is a last resort.”
The NUT were joined on the streets by fellow teaching unions the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the University and College Union, along with the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents mainly low-paid civil service workers.
The dispute centres on proposed reforms to public sector pensions, which will see employees pay more in contributions and retire later. The government also plans for pension settlements to be based on “career average” pay rather than final salaries.