TEACHERS at a Powys primary school who have mounting concerns over management practices, redundancy and staff wellbeing are striking again this week.

Members of NASUWT – the teachers’ union – at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School are taking strike action today (Tuesday, May 14) and again on Thursday. 

An early morning picket will take place from 7.30-9am on Thursday with support from members of the local community. This will include the school’s former foundation governors, who resigned last month in support of the teachers.

For months, teachers at Llangors have worked under threat of redundancy. It is strongly felt that the proposed redundancy is the result of years of mismanagement by the school’s leadership and governors.

Helen Johns, national executive member for the local area, said: “Teachers are not alone in their concerns over mismanagement and governance at Llangors.

OTHER NEWS:

“Parents, carers, grandparents, former governors and politicians have been steadfast in their support of the industrial action, joining us on picket lines and speaking up where it matters.

“There can be no meaningful resolution to this dispute that ends in redundancy.

“We have today reached out in writing to all 67 current Powys county councillors. We are imploring them, for the sake of the children of this community, to intervene.”

The dispute continues as Powys County Council’s failure to engage in negotiations with NASUWT persists, with no communication from the local authority since April 29.

For months, NASUWT members have been asking the local authority to use their powers of intervention to help resolve an industrial dispute.

Teachers are striking due to concerns over financial mismanagement, a poorly managed redundancy process, adverse management and governance and staff wellbeing. Negotiations have never materialised, contrary to the narrative passed to parents by the chair of governors.

Although PCC has agreed to launch an independent investigation, they will not act to halt the redundancy process.

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT, said: “Powys County Council cannot continue to ignore the plight of teachers at Llangors.

“It is unacceptable for local authority leaders to sit back and watch while teachers lose their jobs and the education of pupils suffers.”

Neil Butler, national official for Wales, added: “Members at Llangors have already endured high levels of stress and frustration due to the mismanaged redundancy process.

“They should never have been forced into an industrial dispute to protect their jobs in the face of incompetence and negligence from those in authority.

“Powys County Council are behaving as if it is possible for Llangors to lose teachers and still provide the same high standard of education to pupils. This simply isn’t true.

“If the proposed redundancy process goes ahead, year groups at Llangors will have to be amalgamated, leaving teachers and pupils at a significant disadvantage.

“In Wales, we don’t just have a cost of living crisis –  this dispute is also evidence of a cost of education crisis that is costing teachers their jobs and pupils their futures.”

A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “The council is supporting the governing body to commission an independent investigation.

"This information has been clearly communicated to the NASUWT, representatives from the Swansea and Brecon Diocese, school staff and the wider school community.

“Governing bodies have a legal duty to set a balanced budget and failure to do so could result in the council taking appropriate action. However, the council has been proactively supporting schools across the county in their work to realign and set their budgets.

“The council fully supports the school’s governing body in their pro-active approach in dealing with these financial pressures and their work to realign and set a balanced budget and believes that the school has acted in a correct and appropriate manner with the council’s support.

“Council officers are working closely with the school and the governing body to minimise disruption caused by the strike and maintain an open dialogue.”