TEACHERS at a top Wirral school are to be balloted for strike action over pension and contract changes.

Staff at Birkenhead School, a fee-paying independent school, are set to be balloted to take industrial action in early January in protest at the employer’s proposals to stop paying its contributions towards the teachers’ pension scheme alongside further detrimental changes to staff contracts.

According to the National Education Union (NEU), the employer currently does not recognise trade unions and has refused to sign a voluntary trade union recognition agreement.

The NEU members at the school have already indicated their support for strike action in an indicative ballot with a turnout of 95% and a yes vote of 80%. They are demanding that the employer withdraws its proposals and enter into structured and formalised negotiation and consultation with the union.

Bora Oktas, NEU regional officer, said: “Our members at Birkenhead School are taking a stand against the employer’s unacceptable and unilateral actions that threaten their pension rights and working conditions.

"The employer has shown a complete disregard for the views and concerns of the staff and the union. We urge the employer to rethink its proposals and engage in constructive dialogue with the NEU to resolve this dispute.”

Mike Farrelly, NEU district assistant secretary of Wirral, said: “The NEU believes that a recognition agreement with the employer would have facilitated a constructive dialogue and a fair resolution of the issues raised by the staff. It would have given the union a formal basis to represent the interests of its members and to negotiate on their behalf on the employer’s proposed changes to teachers’ pension, pay, terms and conditions.

"The NEU regrets that the employer has not agreed to recognise the union, despite repeated requests from the staff and the union. This has made it harder to avoid a dispute and to protect the quality of education at the school.

"Our members strike as a last resort, it is a shame that we have reached this point, it could have so easily been avoided.”

Andrew Cross, Chair of Governors, said: "This started a period of genuine consultation and engagement with our teaching staff following all due guidance with a view to reaching agreement before any final decision is made – estimated in early 2024. As always, we will uphold the legal rights of our staff, including their ability to gain advice as a member of a trade union, and be represented by them when appropriate.

"We are concerned, however, that the correspondence received from the NEU to date, including their recent media release, contains numerous significant inaccuracies, not least the reference to industrial action as a last resort. We have only just started to consult aiming for agreement and a shared outcome.

"The School’s Governors will continue to undertake a thorough consultation with our staff. We know we have the shared objective of delivering a quality service to students and their families and also wish to maintain effective and open working relationships in all circumstances."