Hundreds of secondary school teachers across Swansea, who are said to be angry over the sacking of one of their colleagues for breaking up a fight between two pupils, are to go on strike.
The NASUWT Teachers’ Union said its members voted overwhelmingly to take part in the industrial action on Thursday over “adverse employer practices, threats to their job security and the failure of Swansea Council to comply with existing collective agreements”.
More than half of the city’s secondary schools will close for the day due to the walkout, while a number of others will partially close.
The union said its members do not take strike action lightly, but said in the face of rising violence in schools experienced after the coronavirus pandemic, teachers should feel “supported when they intervene to keep themselves and their pupils safe”.
Swansea Council has previously said it is “extremely disappointed” in the union’s decision to ballot for a strike and said it refutes all claims of employer abuse.
The row between the union and local education officials is claimed to be over an incident involving a male teacher who pulled apart two male students who were engaged in a physical fight.
According to the union, the teacher was disciplined but then exonerated on appeal before a second appeal led him to be dismissed.
Neil Butler, NASUWT’s Wales representative, said the union “does not recognise the outcome of the second appeal”.
