New strike threat over school pay

Apr 9 2008 By Neil Elkes

FAMILIES in Birmingham are facing the prospect of school closures as council unions and a teaching union join forces for a walkout in two weeks' time.

City council unions have urged members to back an all-out strike on Wednesday and Thursday April 23 and 24 in their dispute over a new pay and grading system introduced last week.

The five leading trade unions, Unison, T&G Unite, GMB, Amicus and UCATT will today formally announce the mass walkout, a move today described by council bosses as 'irresponsible'.

They will again stage pickets at refuse depots, schools, libraries and care homes on each morning before joining a rally in Victoria Square at noon on Thursday April 24.

It coincides with a national strike by NUT members over pay and means that a majority of Birmingham's 450 schools face closure.

A council spokeswoman, speaking on behalf of human resources boss Alan Rudge, said: "We are disappointed at this latest call for strike action. The council believes this action is irresponsible and not the way forward."

Union members overwhelmingly rejected the revised offer at a series of mass meetings last month.

More than 40,000 staff are affected by the new pay and grading structure, of which more than half are union members. Up to 20,000 took part in the last strike on February 5. The unions believe that action in the midst of the May 1 local election campaign will cause maximum disruption and put the city's ruling Conservative-Lib Dem coalition under pressure.