A LONG-RUNNING dispute which saw nine school dinner ladies strike for a total of 36 days came to an end this week after the school withdrew plans to axe their jobs.
Ladywood Primary School in Grimethorpe has been at the centre of a row since June when the school issued a statement saying that due to a budget shortfall, nine dinner ladies faced redundancy.
In September, a week after the school opened for the new academic year, a letter was issued to parents warning them of the job losses.
Trade union Unison, the dinner ladies and some parents began picketing outside the school on September 12. Unison described the situation as ‘a sad case of the lowest paid staff being treated as disposable’.
After six days of strike action held over a period of three weeks, negotiations took place and alternative proposals were submitted.
Unison suspended industrial action to allow the school to carry out a root and branch review, however tensions escalated and a vote of no confidence was mounted by a parent against the head teacher Claire Grainger.
More strikes followed and tensions continued to escalate, with parents contacting the Chronicle accusing the strikers of behaving in a threatening way, a padlock on the school gates being damaged forcing the school to open later, and criticism levelled at the school by the union over figures suggesting the training of the school dog had cost more than £2,000.
But on Tuesday night, Ladywood made a u-turn saying that ‘natural staff turnover’ meant the school was no longer in financial danger, and the dinner ladies returned to work after a total of 36 days of strike action.
The news came just two days before a demonstration over the redundancies was due to take place outside the town all, where Unison and Barnsley Trades Union Council (BTUC) planned to speak to councillors attending the full council meeting and then march through the town centre.
Area organiser Jordan Stapleton said: “We really didn’t expect to have to strike for as long as we did. We wish that the school had listened to us in June because I believe this could have a been avoided.
“I don’t believe Claire Grainger managed this situation properly.
“I really hope she has learnt a lesson from this and it’s a fantastic result. It’s so much better for the children to have the dinner ladies back.
“It was overwhelming to see how close knit the community is and the support we have received from parents and staff throughout has been fantastic.
“Where schools do need to make savings they need to know that low-paid women are not easy targets and the contributions they make to our communities cannot be underestimated.”
The dinner ladies returned to work on Thursday, and Unison said they will be ‘keeping an eye’ on the school and its budget.
George Arthur, secretary of Barnsley Trades Union Council, attended demonstrations on the picket line and hailed the action a ‘tremendous success’ for the trade union movement.
“I think everyone who attended the picket line felt heartened by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by these dinner ladies in standing up not just for their jobs, but for the children in their school.
“I know as a former teacher myself the important role support staff play in a school. Children will talk to these ladies on the playground as mothers almost, sharing with them their fears and concerns in a way they might not always do with a teacher, and that’s really important.
“They have shown what needs to be done when people are threatened with job losses. The action they have taken is an example to everyone in Barnsley and further afield, you need to take action and you need to seek solidarity in standing up for what’s right.”
A statement on the school’s website said: “During discussions with Unison (on Tuesday), the leadership team of the school was notified that a Unison member (HLTA) had secured employment elsewhere. As a direct consequence the school can work within its budget for 2019/20 without the need to make redundancies.
“The proposal to remove SMSAs (school meal supervisory assistants) from the staffing structure has therefore been removed and industrial action has ceased.
“The budget projections for 2020/21 still indicate a deficit position and therefore a further review of the staffing structure will be required in the near future.”
