TEACHERS at a new £22 million special school in Wales are balloting for strike action after up to one in six staff were told that they face redundancy within five months of its opening.

National Education Union Cymru (NEU) members called for the vote on industrial action in response to Powys County Council’s threat of massive cuts at Ysgol Robert Owen in Newtown.

NEU interim Wales secretary Nicola Fitzpatrick said: “It is unbelievable that Powys council have spent £22m of public money on a much-needed new school for children with additional learning needs, but it appears they have not done their homework on how much it will cost to run and staff.