Teachers at private schools to strike in pay row

Some teaching staff at Merchant Taylors' say they will strike for five days

Some private school teachers on Merseyside are set to go on strike in a row over pay.

Staff represented by the NASUWT union at Merchant Taylors' - which includes Stanfield Preparatory School - said their 1.14% salary increase was actually "a real-terms pay cut".

The union's general secretary, Patrick Roach, said his members were "being expected to do the same job as colleagues in the state sector for far less".

A representative for the Crosby-based schools said the independent education sector had been hit by significant cost increases and disputed the validity of working condition comparisons between private and state schools.

'Had enough'

As part of the industrial action, NASUWT members will not work on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as from 4-6 March.

Mr Roach said his union had exhausted all avenues, including talks through the mediation service ACAS, to avoid strike action.

But he said the school had "refused to come forward with any alternative proposals on pay", leaving staff with "no option but to move to strike action".

Mr Roach added: "At a time when the cost of everyday living remains high, a 1.14% pay award equates to a real-terms pay cut."

Union colleague Bryan McConnell said teachers "have had enough and feel there is no other course of action than to strike in order to stand up for their right to decent and fair pay and conditions."

'Significant cost increases'

In a statement, a Merchant Taylors' representative said the schools faced financial pressures from recent increases in VAT, business rates, and National Insurance contributions.

"These significant cost increases, including higher pension contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme of 28.6% from April 2024, limit our ability to raise teaching pay without further increasing fees for parents," the statement said.

It also said comparing working conditions with the maintained sector was "at best specious, if not erroneous".

It said teaching staff work 25.5 fewer days per year, have a reduced workload, and work with smaller class sizes than in state schools.