Teachers at a Welsh secondary school are to stage a third day of strike action over "violent and aggressive behaviour" from some pupils. Members of the NASUWT union will take strike action at Caldicot Secondary School in Monmouthshire on Wednesday, October 25, over ongoing safety concerns about working conditions at the school.
Industrial action at Caldicot Secondary School has been ongoing throughout September and October as NASUWT members seek safe working conditions. The union claims some teaching staff are facing "violent and aggressive behaviour" from some pupils in the school and staged a strike for two days in September over the issue.
Last month some of the school's parents told WalesOnline they were supportive of the striking teachers, who they claimed were not receiving support from the school authorities despite allegedly being "threatened" by some pupils. Monmouthshire council has said it is aware of the issues and is "involved in the ongoing talks and will continue to work with all parties until issues are resolved".
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NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: "The failure of the governing body to invest time and effort in talks to resolve this dispute is what is responsible for the strike action disruption. Our members want to see their employer seriously taking steps to address the adverse management practices that continue to affect the health, safety, and welfare of staff and pupils.”
NASUWT national official Wales Neil Butler said: "Teachers must be able to teach without facing violent and aggressive behaviour. Parents of pupils at the school will also be concerned about how these behaviours impact upon their own children.
“The NASUWT is calling upon the local authority to use its powers of intervention. The governors seem to have given up. The local authority must take control – not stand by and watch. The dispute has now escalated to another education union taking action. It is time to intervene.”
A Monmouthshire County Council spokesman said: “We are disappointed that the efforts to resolve this dispute through mediation and conciliation have not been successful. This dispute is disrupting the learning of all of the pupils in Caldicot School and this is an unacceptable position. As a council we will continue to use our range of powers to address this situation to seek a sustainable resolution that benefits the learners at the centre of our considerations.”
