Staff members at a number of Derbyshire schools are walking out today – with strike action taking place across June amid an ongoing dispute over a proposed restructure.

Staff at the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust are undertaking industrial action today (Tuesday, June 2) – with further strikes planned for June 3, June 4, June 9, June 10 and June 11.

UNISON has raised concerns over restructuring plans at the trust, affecting 14 of its schools across Derbyshire (along with schools in Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester), which were announced in January.

The union said the proposals would lead to a number of job losses, and added that there is a lack of clarity about how key duties will be covered in the coming months if roles are cut, or how work will be reallocated.

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Matlock is among the schools that will be impacted by strike action.

placeholder image — St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Matlock is among the schools that will be impacted by strike action.

Staff members, including teaching assistants, one-to-one special-needs support workers, lunchtime supervisors and chaplaincy staff, are among those due to take a further six days of strike action over the next two weeks.

The following 14 schools are included will be impacted by this dispute: St Ralph Sherwin – St Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy, Derby; St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, Marple; The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy, Nottinghamshire; St John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy, Ilkeston; St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Derby; English Martyrs Catholic Voluntary Academy, Long Eaton; St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Glossop; St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Derby; St Thomas's Catholic Primary School, Ilkeston; St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy, Buxton; St Charles' Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy, Glossop; St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Belper; Holy Rosary, Burton-on-Trent; St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Matlock. In addition, staff in the trust's central team at St Katherine's House, Derby (which includes chaplaincy and IT staff) will also be on strike.

UNISON said the dispute highlights some of the poorest treatment of staff it has seen in the past 20 years, with workers describing their treatment as “deeply disrespectful”.

In recent months, some employees have reported being excluded entirely from the consultation processes about the restructure, while others say proposals affecting them have been significantly altered without warning or discussion.

More recently, staff have reported receiving incorrect redundancy letters containing colleagues’ names, which the union has described as “chaotic and unacceptable”.

The union says talks have made some progress but the trust must take action to resolve the dispute once and for all, and get hardworking education staff back to school.

UNISON East Midlands schools lead Josie Lloyd said: “These changes have left many staff feeling demoralised and with no other option but to strike.

“Trust bosses have been presented with clear ways to resolve this dispute, but these have been repeatedly ignored. They’ve ridden roughshod through the consultation and redundancy process.

“Staff aren’t asking for more, just to be treated fairly and to be able to do their jobs. It’s not too late to find a solution that avoids further disruption and gives school workers, parents, pupils and the community some peace of mind.”

Kevin Gritton, CEO for the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, confirmed that negotiations to bring the dispute to an end were continuing – with the trust hoping to avoid the impact of further industrial action on pupils and their families.

He said: “Negotiations with trade unions are ongoing and we will be entering our sixth round of meetings with some trade unions this week. We are absolutely committed to working at pace to avert any further strike action as we understand the significant impact this is having on pupils and their families.

“Since negotiations started we have made considerable concessions to original proposals put in place, some of these have positively impacted on the position of support staff affected and we are committed to continuing to find ways of doing that but we do have to ensure that all of our schools, and Central Team, are not spending more than we receive in income.

“All staff have been given the opportunity to attend several consultation meetings and we remain open to all offers for discussion in relation to the current process. Throughout the process we have responded to any issues raised and will continue to do so.”