PUPILS and parents alike are set to face disruption across Essex tomorrow as a number of teachers are set to walk out over changes to pay and pensions and concerns about workload - as council workers are also taking strike action.
Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) - which bills itself as the biggest teacher union in the country - are striking over performance-related pay which it claims 'unfair' and that it 'promotes inequality'.
The new system has given schools flexibility in offering higher salaries to the best teachers, while it has been claimed that head teachers can deny pay rises to those staff who fail to engage in extra-curricular activities or help out with driving the school minibus.
The NUT are also striking as teachers have to work 60 hour weeks on average, many hours of which are spent on unnecessary paperwork, which is not helping 'children learn or promote their wellbeing'.
They are also concerned with education secretary Michael Gove's plans to increase the retirement age to 68.
Previously, the NUT went on strike in March over the same issues.
Speaking at that protest, Jerry Glazier, 61, the NUT national executive member for Essex, said: "The NUT is determined to pursue its campaign against performance-related pay and pensions.
"We have tried to get the government to listen to all of this, but Michael Gove is barely listening to us.
"We are very fearful of the effect that the new policies will have on prospective teachers. We need to continue recruiting the best teachers.
"These changes will do the exact opposite. If we felt that Gove was genuinely listening to us, there wouldn't be a strike today.
"There is no alternative but to take strike action today considering the circumstances.
"Long hours are getting worse, the vast amount of teachers working in a secondary school are working over 55 hours a week."
Tomorrow, teachers will march from the top of Chelmsford High Street to the Essex Cricket Ground on Writtle Street, between 11.30am – 12.30pm, to protest against the government proposals.
It also coincides with strike action by local council worker members of Unison, who are striking over the lack of a meaningful pay increase, and also a 10am – 7pm strike by firefighters over pension changes by the government.
