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From The Socialist newspaper, 27 January 2016
Birmingham teachers strike to resist academy attack
Teachers' picket line at Small Heath School, 19.1.2015, photo by Jane Nellist (Click to enlarge)
Clive Walder, Birmingham Socialist Party
Teaching staff in the NUT at Small Heath School in Birmingham have started nine days of strike action (19-21 and 26-28 January and 2-4 February) against the threat to turn it into an academy.
The school have failed to properly engage with staff, pupils or parents. Teachers have already taken five days of strike action before Christmas over this issue.
Two days after teachers voted for this round of strike action NUT rep Simon O'Hara was suspended by management in an obvious attempt to break the action.
About 50 teachers and supporters attended the first picket on 19 January on a freezing cold morning and heard many passing cars toot their horns in support.
Determined
The mood was lively and determined and the picket line was visited by NUT NEC and Socialist Party member Jane Nellist.
There was another well attended picket on 21 January when NASUWT members were out on strike too. Once again many cars tooted their horns in support.
Management are still refusing to talk to the unions, It may well be that they are trying to drag the dispute out and hope that the majority of parents will eventually oppose the strike.
It is possible that management want this to be a watershed dispute in the struggle against academisation.
But there is at the moment a vocal group of parents in support of the strike and IT staff who are members of the teachers' and lecturers' union ATL will be striking on the next dates.
The teachers are determined to win what could be a bitter dispute.
- Please send protests about Simon O'Hara's suspension to [email protected], messages of support to [email protected] and sign the online petition in support of Simon at chn.ge/1Q12Jm4
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In The Socialist 27 January 2016:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Housing: smash the Tory wrecking bill
Davos summit: a broken capitalist system
Google pays pittance for avoiding £2bn tax
Red doors and wristbands scandal
Steelworkers may face benefit cut-off for not seeking bar jobs
Oscars snub black artists: fight racism and austerity in the arts
Labour councillor smears TUSC policy as 'BNP'
Top tweets: #TraditionallySubmissive
Teachers under attack
Teaching: a perfect storm is brewing
Teachers need national strategy for a national struggle
A day in the life of a teacher and mother
International socialist news and analysis
New wave of protests in Tunisia
India: student death exposes caste oppression
What we think
Tories 'Prevent' civil liberties
Council cuts and the fight in Labour
Labour councillor suspended for fighting cuts
Dave Nellist's byelection appeal to Jeremy Corbyn: 'let's discuss how to fight the cuts'
Labour election post-mortem: nothing to report!
The dark arts of Labour's right
Councillors must fight to defend our services
'People's budgets' and local democracy
Lewisham: no backsliding in council cuts fight!
Workplace news and analysis
"I have left work many times in tears" - a council worker
Trade union bill will stretch resources and limit action
Birmingham teachers strike to resist academy attack
Care services under threat in Haringey
Readers' comment
The end for deep coal mining jobs in Britain
Obituary: Dean Meehan 1962-2016
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Protesting against closure of Huddersfield A&E
Coventry children's services closure protest
New Socialist Party branch fights against St Austell austerity
Socialist Party discusses the fight for socialism
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