Strikes at a London trust over its already-higher-than-average maternity pay have been called off two days in after a more generous policy was agreed. Eight of the Charter Trust鈥檚 nine schools faced significant disruption on Friday and Monday over a what the National Education Union called a 鈥渢wo tier policy鈥� as rates at some schools are 鈥渟ignificantly higher鈥� than others. The in Southwark and two in Lambeth and already offers maternity pay 30 per cent above national levels. But the trust said schools in Lambeth are following employee rates in line with Lambeth Council – which offers 58 per cent above the 拢17,600 guaranteed in the burgundy book. Daniel Kebede Daniel Kebede, the union鈥檚 general secretary, said it was not 鈥渇air that some staff receive thousands more maternity pay than their colleagues, despite sharing the same employer鈥�. Now the trust and NEU have negotiated a 鈥渨eighted average system鈥� which will give staff in Southwark schools around eight more days of full pay while on maternity leave. Maternity pay ‘significantly above’ national rates CEO of The Charter Trust Cassie Buchanan said “we are pleased that, given the trust鈥檚 maternity pay is already significantly above the nationally agreed rate for teachers, the NEU has recognised that we can鈥檛 afford to take the very expensive step of paying everyone the level that is used across Lambeth schools”. Cassie Buchanan Buchanan added the weighted average system 鈥渟hows that we want to do all we can to recognise our brilliant staff, but only in a way that doesn鈥檛 destabilise schools and threaten jobs鈥�. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said the union “engaged in productive discussions with Charter Trust and improvements were made to the maternity provision for all staff. 聽 鈥淣EU members are pleased to secure improved maternity pay. This is something that all educational establishments need to consider given the recruitment and retention crisis in schools, and highly relevant when such a high proportion of the workforce are women.” It comes as the union set out a “blueprint” to “take on” academy trusts, with strikes also ongoing at several other large trusts. But the union itself is facing strikes over the “mishandling” of its own restructure.