红桃影视

A London trust that already offers maternity pay 30 per cent above national levels is facing disruption today as staff strike over what unions claim is a 鈥渢wo-tier鈥� policy.

Eight of the nine schools will be affected by strikes for four days.

It comes after the National Education Union found the maternity pay offered at two of its academies was 鈥渟ignificantly higher鈥� than at its seven other schools.

Daniel Kebede, the union鈥檚 general secretary, called it a 鈥渢wo-tier policy鈥�, adding it was not 鈥渇air that some staff receive thousands more maternity pay than their colleagues, despite sharing the same employer鈥�.

However, the MAT said this was because the two joined the trust having offered employees rates in line with those provided by Lambeth council.

These are said to be 58 per cent above the 拢17,600 guaranteed in the burgundy book.聽

A teacher at the top of the main pay range would receive 拢27,800 over 12 months. Staff at the rest of the trust鈥檚 schools, which are in neighbouring Southwark, would get about 拢23,000.

Kebede 鈥� whose union is demanding equal maternity pay across the trust 鈥� accused Charter of 鈥渃omplete intransigence鈥� as it had not 鈥渙ffered a single penny more鈥�.

He pointed to the 鈥渢ens of thousands鈥� it spent on 鈥渆xternal consultants, marketing and branding, a growing central team and substantial pay rises for its leaders鈥�.

‘We simply don’t have the wriggle room’

However, a Charter Schools spokesperson said the consultant and marketing fees were 鈥渙ne-off鈥� payments that were 鈥渇ractional compared to what it would cost us to increase maternity pay just in the first year alone鈥�.

It also was 鈥渙ne of only a few academy trusts who already pay our staff more than the national agreement for maternity pay鈥�.

鈥淗owever, when trying to protect jobs because of the pressure of falling rolls and increased costs, we simply don鈥檛 have the wriggle room to nearly double that commitment.鈥�

If government funding 鈥渃hanged鈥�, they said, the chain 鈥渨ould more than welcome the opportunity for all staff to be on that even higher maternity rate鈥�.

It is just the latest example of school funding woes pitting leaders against unions, with disruption for pupils. Some of the schools will have to close 鈥� although not for vulnerable pupils 鈥� while others will part-close.

Jess Balado, the chair of the National Headteachers鈥� Associations Network, said: 鈥淚t is inevitably going to be the case that as things become tighter there will be more conflict [with unions].

鈥淚t鈥檚 not fair on school leaders鈥� there is not adequate funding in schools to be able to do everything.鈥�

More strikes feared

One trust chief executive, who asked to remain anonymous, warned of more strikes this autumn 鈥渄ue to the shortfall in funding and increased costs鈥�, noting: 鈥淭he chickens have come home to roost. Schools will have to make redundancies.鈥�

Elsewhere in London, NEU members at Harris Academy Beckenham took part in two days of walkouts this week over 鈥渦nacceptable management鈥� and workload.

The union also claimed Harris Federation, which runs the school, has 鈥渋ntervened to stop staff exercising their trade union rights鈥� by stopping officers from accessing the school and 鈥渇alsely鈥� claiming 鈥渢he NEU is refusing to meet鈥�. 

But a Harris spokesperson said it did not recognise the 鈥渕alicious allegations being spread about our schools鈥� and accused the union of 鈥渆ncouraging dissent amongst our staff鈥�.

The chain has 鈥渁ttempted to engage鈥� with the NEU 鈥渙n a number of occasions, but they have repeatedly refused to meet with us鈥�.

鈥淲e have extended the invitation to meet again and are committed to resolving any issues they have as soon as possible.鈥�