Teachers at Northfield Academy in Aberdeen back strike action over pupil violence

Teachers at Northfield Academy in Aberdeen have voted in favour of industrial action by 89% after continuing pupil violence.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union said there were serious concerns over the safety of staff at the high school.

On Wednesday, members of the union voted in favour of industrial action that includes strike action by a margin of 89%.

They also voted 87% in favour of taking industrial action short of strike action. The turnout in both votes was 69%.

Strike given mandate but not confirmed

Ron Constable, Aberdeen City EIS local association secretary, said the members “smashed” the threshold to give the union the power to strike.

But although the members have given the union a mandate for action, no strike has been confirmed yet.

Before a strike can take place, the union would have to call a meeting and then give the council 14 days notice.

Mr Constable said strike action would be likely if there is another instance of assault or serious verbal assault at the school.

Teachers ‘need to feel safe’

The vote comes after a history of behaviour problems at the school going back years.

Mr Constable said the teachers have been extremely disappointed with Aberdeen City Council’s response to the problems.

He said there have been “repeated delays” and an “inability” for the authority to deal with issues.

The core issue, he said, is teachers have the right to come into the workplace and feel safe. He also said they have the right not to be intimidated.

On November 5, a leaked council report said industrial action was at odds with the child-centred approach that all Scottish councils sign up to and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Earlier in the year, an EIS member survey showed that half of the city’s teachers were considering leaving the job. Most cited pupil violence as the main reason.

Aberdeen City Council declined to comment when contacted by the Press & Journal.

Mr Constable said: “The council knew this vote was coming and the ballot closed on Friday.

“They have been given all of the specifics.

“Teachers understand they will deal with challenging behavior but the whole story is the lack of management of Aberdeen City Council.”

In a previous statement on November 5, the council said there had only been 11 near-miss incidents since August and said they were working to improve conditions.

The Northfield Academy strike is a completely separate dispute from the general teacher strike that will be carried out on Thursday, November 24. It will involve all councils in the Highlands, Islands, Aberdeenshire and Moray and is over a pay dispute.