Teachers strike over pensions at independent school

Staff are striking for five days in January over proposed changes to a pension scheme

Teachers at an independent secondary school are striking due to a dispute over pensions.

Staff at Our Lady's Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, who are members of the National Education Union (NEU), are taking part in the action for five days in January.

Union officials said the strike is in response to the school governors' proposal to cap the school's financial contribution to a pension scheme.

The school said it was considering withdrawing from the scheme due to "unsustainable cost increases" but that a consultation was ongoing and no decisions had been made.

The NEU said teachers at the school are members of the Teachers Pension Scheme, a government-run scheme which guarantees benefits based on career length and salary.

It said the school had proposed to cap its contribution to the scheme, which would mean teachers' take-home pay would be reduced, or they would need to change pension schemes.

The union claimed the governors were forcing through the changes with a "fire and rehire" procedure.

'Only resort'

Phil Clarke, regional secretary of the NEU, said: "We are calling for the governors to drop the use of "fire and rehire" to coerce staff to accept alterations to contracts under threat of dismissal.

Mr Clarke said teachers had tried to resolve the issue with the school's governors without the need for strikes.

"NEU members do not engage in this action lightly, but it is clear to them that industrial action is their only resort in this situation," he added.

In a statement, the school said its contributions into pensions in the TPS scheme had risen from 16.5% 2019 to 28.7% by April 2024.

It added 380 independent schools had withdrawn from the scheme and 260 had entered phased withdrawal, with others exploring hybrid models.

"We are committed to resolving the dispute and maintaining the well-being and education of our students," it said.

"We deeply value our teachers and recognise their critical role in shaping our students' futures."

The school said it would remain open during the strike action, which began on Monday and is continuing on Tuesday.

More strikes are planned for 28, 29 and 30 January.