Strike-hit schools could be forced to close - union

GMB's Rhea Wolfson said up to 35 schools could be affected

Schools could be forced to close after council workers voted to take industrial action over equal pay claims, a union has warned.

Effectively bankrupt Birmingham City Council faces a bill estimated to be more than £867m after historically underpaying women.

Members of the GMB union have voted to go on strike over the local authority's timetable for settling the liability.

The council said it remained committed to resolving historic equal pay issues and settling all legitimate claims.

Schools are set to be the first area affected by strikes this spring.

Exact dates are yet to be agreed but other services across the council are also expected to face disruption.

Rhea Wolfson, head of industrial relations at the GMB, told Politics Midlands that her members had been undervalued and that as many as 35 schools could be at risk of closure during the strikes.

"There will be potential disruption but I hope we can find a swift resolution," she said.

'Terrible mess'

Sarah Edwards, Labour MP for Tamworth and former union organiser, called the situation "incredibly frustrating".

"When people go on strike it's because they have tried every other option," she said. "I think it's really important to get around the table."

Jeremy Wright, Conservative MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said the Labour-run city council had presided over a "terrible mess".

"There has to be some accountability for decisions made a local level," he said.

Birmingham City Council said it had been engaging with the GMB union since 2021 and had begun work on a new approach to job evaluation to settle Birmingham’s equal pay issues once and for all.

"The council would encourage GMB to explore solutions working together," it said.

On Tuesday, the local authority signed off on a historic wave of cuts to services ahead of a 21% rise in council tax over two years.

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