Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Arnold House School in St John’s Wood are due to take strike action tomorrow (24th March) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension and their pay.

Teachers being threatened with fire and rehire if they do not agree to either withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and be enrolled in an inferior pension scheme, or to give up some of their pay through salary sacrifice in order to remain in the TPS.

The school is already in phased withdrawal from the TPS, but existing members of the scheme had been assured by school management at the time that decision was taken that they could remain in the TPS. There was no suggestion at that time that they would have to sacrifice any of their pay in order to do so.

NASUWT will be picketing outside the school between approximately 7.45am and 9am.
 
Matt Wrack, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

“Teachers are being given an invidious choice – to be worse off in retirement or worse off now. This is not a trade off any teacher should be asked to make.

“The employer is seeking to move the goalposts and force teachers to accept their financial security being undermined through the use of fire and rehire tactics.

“This is no way to treat staff. The employer must withdraw these proposals and start demonstrating some respect for its teachers.”

Kathy Duggan, NASUWT National Executive Member for Westminster, said:

“This is an unacceptable attack on the basic pay and conditions of teachers and is completely without any justification.

“We will not stand by and allow an employer to attempt to bully teachers into being left worse off now or in the future.”