GMB to ballot support staff members at the John Roan School in Greenwich for industrial action
Answers needed over unexplained £438,000 deficit and refusal to consult in a full and meaningful manner says GMB.
GMB, the union for school support staff, will be balloting its members at the John Roan School, Maze Hill, Greenwich for strike action over threats to jobs and massive cuts to the schools budget. The ballot opens on 4th May and will close on 16th May.
In March 2016 GMB and other recognised unions were informed that teaching and support staff would be consulted on redundancies due to a £438,000 deficit that the school had found itself in within the last financial year. The head teacher did not engage in a meaningful way and would not provide full financial information until the very end of consultation and refused to accept reasonable suggestions to cut the deficit. In addition to this GMB doesn't accept that the reasons the school has presented for the accumulation of a deficit stand up under scrutiny.
GMB will be joining the NUT who have already taken 2 days of strike action over the position the school has taken.
Nick Day, GMB Membership Development Officer, said "Our members at the John Roan School have tried unsuccessfully to get the head teacher to engage in a full and meaningful way, they have therefore regretfully taken the decision to consider industrial action.
It cannot be right for the school to present such a large hole in its finances over such a small period in time without presenting the unions and the staff with the relevant information in a timely way and for not accepting reasonable suggestions to get the school back on track.
We are therefore demanding that the school gets back around the table and listen, engage and work with the staff who want proper answers and appropriate solutions."
Steve Oakes, Branch President for GMB Greenwich said "GMB members were shocked to hear that the schools finances had gone from being in a sound position to being in a huge black hole. All we have asked for during this process is for the full facts, to try to mitigate redundancies and to find out where the extra spending has gone.
Our members are taking this action to secure the future of the education of its students. Educational outcomes will only be worsened by mass redundancies and less staff."
