by Hugo Pierre, Unison member and Tower Hamlets Socialist Party
Photo: Hugo Pierre
Unison, GMB and National Education Union members at St Luke’s primary school in Tower Hamlets are taking joint strike action to fight eight teaching assistant redundancies. Teaching assistants have taken four days of strike action. The jobs are crucial to keeping students and staff safe.
The school managers have chosen to spend extra money on management posts for the school but haven’t made any provision for how reducing the total number of teaching assistants by a third will affect the children’s education.
The school has a high proportion of children with EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plans) to support their special needs. It is these children that will be most affected by these cuts.
Teachers face an increasing workload because of these cuts.
The union members are continuing their joint fight for jobs to secure a safer school for children and staff.