Girls' Day School Trust strike: Teachers at Sheffield High School want offers to be put on negotiating table

Union members at Sheffield Girls' in Broomhall, voted in favour of strike action earlier this month, in response to their employers' plan to pull out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).

The employers, the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), which has moved to pull out of the pension scheme has been criticised by the National Education Union.

The union said the affected teachers are ‘at least 20 per cent worse off’ in annual pension payments without the scheme in place.

On Wednesday (February 23), which is a second day of strike action since last week, teachers of Reception Year through to Sixth Form called on the trust to 'get their hands off' their pension scheme and put it back on the negotiating table.

The independent school is part of the GDST and the move marked the first strike action in the trust’s 149 year history.

'Continued membership of the TPS would prevent GDST from having control over finances'

In response to the ongoing strike, the trust has said its trustees proposed what they believe is a 'strong, updated offer' which will meet the teachers' concerns.

Under the proposal, teaching staff will now stay within the TPS for a longer period until September 30, 2023, a full two years from the start of collective consultation, and all GDST staff in independent schools will be awarded a pay rise - which is for the long term.

It said: "A strong alternative scheme to the TPS is being proposed with a 20 per cent employer contribution alongside other benefits.

"The new scheme includes an option under which teachers could expect a drawdown pension to match or exceed their TPS pension beyond average life expectancy, even with investment returns some way below those the NEU uses in its own pension projections.

"The trustees have a legal duty to secure the GDST’s future and deliver on its charitable mission to reach as many girls as possible.

"They have concluded that the additional annual financial burden of £6 million created by increased TPS costs is unsustainable and therefore the GDST cannot remain within the scheme indefinitely."

The trust also said the continued membership of the TPS would prevent the GDST from having control over its finances and developing the total reward it can provide to its staff, including pay rises.

It added: “This is a challenge reflected across the independent schools’ sector. Nearly two-thirds of independent schools are not in the TPS and to-date over 300 have left or have given notice to leave since 2019. This includes in the region of 30 independent schools that have left the scheme since GDST began consultation with our teachers, and around a further 170 schools are currently undergoing consultation to leave.

“We know teachers will want time to consider the new proposal and we are ready to talk these through in detail. The GDST remains committed to reaching a settlement and we have invited the NEU to meet with us. We are disappointed that they have refused to call off this week’s proposed industrial action while these discussions take place.

"With the trustees’ decision announced on Tuesday, the pursuit of strike action with a new proposal on the table will cause unnecessary disruption for students and teachers.

“We care deeply about our teachers and would not have put forward these proposals unless we felt they were absolutely necessary to support the long-term sustainability of the GDST family of schools, enabling us to continue to provide an excellent and affordable independent education for our students, and at the same time offering teachers a comfortable retirement."

More news: Sheffield High School for Girls strike: Teachers form picket line outside over end of pension scheme

Union: 'We're perplexed'

But what the trust offered hasn't really met the strikers' demands at all, said Duncan Blackie, NEU Joint District Secretary Sheffield.

He said their demands are to maintain the Teachers' Pension Scheme and not for the employers to say that they might hold on to it for another two years and then abolish it.

He said: "We're rather perplexed that they have chosen to give the revised offer to the membership rather than coming to the negotiating table.

"There is an active negotiating table which is the place to take it so just putting it to the members in the way in which they've done doesn't really help because it doesn't amount to a consultation at all.

“So we'll be expecting more from the employers than what they've put forward.

"So far, to reiterate, the basic demand is that our members here stay in the Teachers' Pension Scheme, which they have been paying into and for their working careers, and which they regard as part of the deal of being a teacher.

"If the Trust is going to tear that up then that's a serious threat to our conditions."

NEU Sheffield district and branch secretary Toby Mallinson also said losing the TPS would degrade their pay and remuneration as ‘significantly worse than local state schools’.

According to the union, 95 per cent NEU teacher members voted in favour of strike action, on a turnout of 84 per cent, in single ballot covering all 23 independent schools in the Trust.

The pickets take place on Wednesday and Thursday, from 7am to 10am.

Meanwhile, teacher members from all 23 independent schools in the trust, including those taking half term, have travelled to the Westminster to lobby their MPs and gather for a rally to challenge the decision on Wednesday.