Swansea: Teachers strike again in school fight sacking row

Swansea secondary school teachers belonging to the NASUWT union are on strike for a second time on Wednesday after the council rejected a proposal to end a dispute.

The strikes follow claims a colleague was sacked for breaking up a fight between two pupils.

The union said teachers had to be able to rely on their employers to protect them and honour job descriptions.

Swansea council disputed the union's version of events.

"The NASUWT alleged that its member was breaking up a pupil fight. In fact, this action was triggered by the dismissal of a teacher for using excessive force against a pupil," a statement said.

"The NASUWT has also claimed that this dispute is also about teachers facing violent incidents. However, there was no violent pupil in this particular case."

A spokesperson said council officials had been in regular with the union and met four or five times to resolve the dispute.

More than half of Swansea's secondary schools closed for a day in July while others partially shut after NASUWT union members voted to take industrial action over the matter.

The row is claimed to relate to an incident involving a male teacher pulling apart two boy pupils who were fighting.

According to the union, the teacher was disciplined but then exonerated on appeal, before a second appeal led him to be dismissed.

NASUWT said the action was being taken by teachers after "adverse employer practices, threats to their job security and the failure of Swansea council to comply with existing collective agreements".

Neil Butler, NASUWT national officer for Wales, said: "In the midst of a recruitment and retention crisis for teachers, Swansea council upheld a process that led to the wrongful dismissal of a teacher for breaking up a fight.

"Our offer would have allowed Swansea council to regain the trust of teachers by ensuring that the council adheres to collective agreements."

A Swansea council spokesperson said the action is causing "disruption to pupils' education and their families".

They added: "Fewer than 180 NASUWT members have voted to strike, which is less than 4% of the school workforce.

"It is time that the NASUWT recognise that they cannot bargain over something that cannot be offered, if learners are to remain safe in Swansea."