Fifteen more schools begin equal pay strike vote

School workers in Birmingham went on strike in May

Fifteen more schools are set to vote on strike action as a result of an ongoing dispute over equal pay, the GMB Union has said.

More than 250 school workers in Birmingham will take part in the new ballot starting on Thursday, with a result expected in mid-September.

The GMB said a second wave of school strikes could be "imminent" following what it called Birmingham City Council's "ongoing failure" to resolve the dispute.

Birmingham City Council said it remained committed to resolving the equal pay issues and settling claims from its employees.

The latest ballot brings the total number of schools facing strike action to 50.

Teaching assistants, catering staff and other workers from 35 schools walked out across Birmingham in May, during the week pupils were sitting Sats exams.

It comes after the city council declared itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023, as a result of an equal pay bill of up to £760m and an £80m overspend on an IT system.

'Ducking responsibility'

Alice Reynolds, GMB organiser, said the local authority had "serious questions" to answer and needed to get "serious about ending the chaos and settling up."

She said the union would not accept the council "ducking responsibility for their catastrophic failings" and blaming "hardworking staff."

"Instead of addressing the underpayment of women delivering essential services for the city, the council's actions have only deepened the crisis," Ms Reynolds added.

“Now we're seeing reports that cuts to vital services, which they blamed on the growing equal pay liability, could have been avoided, protecting jobs and services that our communities depend upon."

In a statement, Birmingham City Council told the BBC it was keen to work together with the GMB to explore solutions.

"The council has been engaging with GMB on matters of equal pay since November 2021, and following the further agreement made with the trades unions in October 2023, has begun work on a new approach to job evaluation to settle Birmingham’s equal pay issues once and for all," a spokesperson added.

The 15 additional schools where GMB members are voting on taking part in strikes are:

• Anglesey Primary School

• Beeches Infant School

• Bellfield Infant School

• Bellfield Junior School

• Boldmere Junior School

• Broadmeadow Infants School

• Calshot Primary School

• Highfield Nursery School

• Ladypool Primary School

• Marsh hill Primary School

• Nelson Junior and Infant School

• New Hall Primary School

• New Oscott Primary School

• Woodgate Primary School

• Woodthorpe J & I School