Strikes at a London trust over its already-higher-than-average maternity pay have been called off two days in after a more generous policy was agreed.
Eight of the Charter Trust’s nine schools faced significant disruption on Friday and Monday over a what the National Education Union called a “two tier policy” as rates at some schools are “significantly higher” than others.
The trust runs six schools in Southwark and two in Lambeth and already offers maternity pay 30 per cent above national levels.
But the trust said schools in Lambeth are following employee rates in line with Lambeth Council – which offers 58 per cent above the £17,600 guaranteed in the burgundy book.
Daniel Kebede, the union’s general secretary, said it was not “fair that some staff receive thousands more maternity pay than their colleagues, despite sharing the same employer”.
Now the trust and NEU have negotiated a “weighted average system” which will give staff in Southwark schools around eight more days of full pay while on maternity leave.
Maternity pay ‘significantly above’ national rates
CEO of The Charter Trust Cassie Buchanan said “we are pleased that, given the trust’s maternity pay is already significantly above the nationally agreed rate for teachers, the NEU has recognised that we can’t afford to take the very expensive step of paying everyone the level that is used across Lambeth schools”.
Buchanan added the weighted average system “shows that we want to do all we can to recognise our brilliant staff, but only in a way that doesn’t destabilise schools and threaten jobs”.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said the union “engaged in productive discussions with Charter Trust and improvements were made to the maternity provision for all staff.
“NEU members are pleased to secure improved maternity pay. This is something that all educational establishments need to consider given the recruitment and retention crisis in schools, and highly relevant when such a high proportion of the workforce are women.”
It comes as the union set out a “blueprint” to “take on” academy trusts, with strikes also ongoing at several other large trusts.
But the union itself is facing strikes over the “mishandling” of its own restructure.
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