Private school pension strikes paused

Teachers planned strikes for five days across April and May

Teachers at a private school have paused their planned strike over pensions.

The first of five separate days of industrial action at Windermere School in Cumbria was meant to start on Wednesday.

Members of the NASUWT and the National Education Union (NEU) were resisting changes to pension contributions which were being "forced" upon them, their representatives said.

Strikes are expected to next week if no revised offer is made by the school.

The action had been planned for 17 April, 24-25 April and 1-2 May.

'Heavy heart'

The dispute is over the school seeking to reduce its employer contributions to teacher pensions, the unions said.

Teachers are being offered the choice to remain with their current pension provider but with reduced employer contributions, or to switch over to a new scheme with similarly reduced employer contributions, according to the unions.

The changes would take place from September.

Beth Farhat, a regional secretary at NEU, said strike action had been planned by teachers with a “heavy heart”.

"Members are angry and determined to defend what is rightfully theirs," she said.

NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said the plans were "unjustified" and an "attack on the financial security of hard-working teachers".

The unions also claimed staff were being "forced" to agree to the changes, or faced being fired from their current contract and rehired on one with the new pension deal.

They are currently in negotiation with the school over the plans.

A school spokesperson said they appreciated the decision to move away from its current pension scheme was "significant for staff" and that they hoped for resolution.

They said more than a third of independent schools around the country were also moving away from the same pension plan.