EIS suspends strike action at Hutchesons' Grammar school

The EIS has this afternoon (Tuesday) agreed to suspend strike action scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, a fee-paying school in Glasgow.

The move to suspend this week’s action follows developments in the dispute over the school’s fire and rehire practice to force teachers onto new contracts with inferior pension provision.

The two scheduled strike days are being withdrawn following a new proposal from the school to delay their plans for a year. While the EIS still does not agree with the school’s proposals, the decision has been taken to halt this week’s strike action to allow for further negotiation and to seek further amendments to the school’s proposals.

Commenting, a spokesperson for the EIS Branch at Hutchesons’ Grammar said, “The school’s amended proposal suggests only a delay, not a cancellation, of their plans to compel all of Hutchesons’ teachers to accept new contracts with inferior pension provision. In agreeing to suspend this week’s strike action, the EIS Branch is very clear that we expect meaningful negotiation with the school in the near future with a view to further amending their proposals to make them acceptable to the teaching staff at Hutchesons’.”

EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “EIS members at Hutchesons’ should be commended for the courageous stance they have taken, and will continue to take, against the damaging fire and rehire tactics deployed by the school. The campaign to protect teachers’ pensions rights at Hutchesons’ is not over, but the EIS has agreed to suspend this week’s strikes as an act of good faith to allow time for further negotiation. The management of the school must not squander this opportunity, and must engage in constructive discussions with trade union representatives to agree a fair and acceptable resolution to this damaging dispute.”