At the beginning of the year, after years of below-inflation pay rises, NEU members at the school submitted their first collective pay claim, for 13.7 per cent.
This was rejected. The independent school also stated that teachers who wished to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) would receive a lower pay award – just 1.3 per cent – than those who opted out. In response, 95 per cent of members voted Yes to strike action.
NEU rep Hannah Lake said: “Members were united in their resolve to defeat the proposed parallel pay scales, which would have caused division and left us vulnerable to further below-inflation pay awards.”
Members took three days of strike action in May and June, with more than 60 teachers and support staff members joining the picket line. The school then agreed to negotiations at arbitration service Acas.
JAGS has now committed to keeping the TPS open to all eligible current staff and has withdrawn its proposal to give detrimental terms of pay to those enrolled in the scheme. Members have voted to accept the offer of a three per cent pay award on the condition that JAGS commits to future pay restoration, and the school is engaging Acas in the process of establishing a recognition agreement.