Teachers begin strikes over school closure threat

Teachers working at three schools have begun seven days of strike action in a long-running dispute over their potential closure.

Education union the NASUWT said the plans for Glendale, Tweedmouth and Berwick middle schools in Northumberland would put 142 staff at risk, with only 50-60 jobs available after restructuring.

Union general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said Northumberland County Council was "behaving appallingly in refusing to do everything possible to save jobs and engage in a full consultation with those affected".

The authority said its aim was to "secure permanent employment" for all staff over the next two years.

The council wants to close the middle schools as part of a move to a two-tier primary and secondary system.

The union has accused it of failing to honour a pledge to protect staff from job losses and said more than 100 redundancy notices had been issued.

The local authority said it would help those staff affected to obtain permanent jobs using "recruitment, redeployment and retraining, as appropriate".

It also said it would work closely with schools and unions to ensure staff were supported during the process.

There were "no areas of fundamental disagreement" in the authority's last meeting with unions, a spokesperson said, adding it was "both surprised and saddened" that the NASUWT had decided to go ahead with the strike action.

The union said about 50 teachers, and some support staff, would strike until Thursday, as well as for a further three days later in the month.

The county's executive member, John Hall, said: "The council should do everything it can to keep these brilliant, committed teachers - not take their jobs away in such a short-sighted and insensitive way."

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