An academy chain has claimed it’s being “targeted” by “small-minded political sniping”, after councillors were told it did not engage with teaching unions.
The trust’s boss hit back on Thursday after Leeds City Council’s deputy leader publicly urged the trust to formally recognise unions, which would allow staff to collectively bargain over conditions and working practices.A scrutiny meeting on Wednesday was also told that teachers at TGAT were “working through their lunch breaks” and that the trust was failing to honour rules around time teachers are allowed to spend away from the classroom.
Helen Bellamy, from the National Education Union , said: “As unions, the way we impact those situations is by having union recognition agreements with multi-academy trusts and we have that with the city council and many MATS.”But she said there was no means of negotiating with TGAT, which she claimed was struggling with very high staff turnover. She said: “We’re trying very, very hard to build a relationship with TGAT.
“It stops problems becoming bigger. It ensures those staff have a decent place to work and I want to see all our schools engaging with the unions.”The discussion took place against the backdrop of a strike by sixth form teachers on Wednesday. NEU members could be seen on a picket line across the street from the window of the Civic Hall room where the meeting was taking place.
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