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Members of the National Education Union (NEU) hold a rally outside the Department for Education (DfE) in London as strike action is taken by sixth form college teachers members across 32 colleges in England, November 28, 2024
A STRIKE ballot over “excessive and unhealthy” levels of workload at Britain’s second-largest academy chain was opened yesterday.
More than 700 National Education Union (NEU) members will vote whether to take “sustained and discontinuous strike action” at 18 Harris Federation secondaries and sixth-form colleges until February 28.
A union spokesman said the ballot also concerns “an unfair and punitive pay progression system, and the unfair treatment of Caribbean and other overseas-trained teachers.”
Members’ terms and conditions in Harris-run schools and colleges are “clearly having an impact on teacher retention,” he added.
An indicative ballot delivered a 92 per cent vote for strike action on an 80 per cent turnout.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede, noting that Harris CEO Dan Moynihan’s roughly £570,000 pay is nearly £200,000 more than any other academy CEO, urged the chain to ”address the working conditions of our members and spend more money on the things our pupils really need.”
Harris Federation was contacted for comment.
