1,500 school staff begin strike action over £867m equal pay liability
School support staff across 35 schools are set to take part in a wave of strike action across Birmingham.
As many as 1,500 workers including teaching assistants, catering staff and grounds maintenance staff are expected to join the action today (Sep 23.
GMB Union says Birmingham City Council continue to “drag their heels” to settle equal pay claims lodged by women workers at the authority.
The largest local authority in Europe is battling to balance the books to repay £1.255bn in Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Government, which must be paid back through £750m of asset sales.
It will help to tackle an equal pay liability above £867m, an overspend on the Oracle IT system of £136m and support a £100m redundancy scheme when it cuts 600 jobs.
Alice Reynolds, GMB Organiser, said: “These workers have been pushed to the brink. Workers across our city are feeling the pinch, unable to pay their bills, rents and mortgages.
“Meanwhile Birmingham City Council continue to drag their heels on paying them the money they’re owed.
“This strike will have a huge impact on local schools; partial or full closures could be on the horizon. We need to see progress on settling our members claims from Council bosses, and soon”.
