Newquay Tretherras Teachers to Strike Tomorrow – More Walkouts Planned Next Week

Dispute Between CELT MAT and NEU Escalates

Teachers at Newquay Tretherras will begin a two-day strike tomorrow, Wednesday 26th February, as part of an ongoing dispute between CELT MAT and the National Education Union (NEU). The industrial action will continue on Thursday 27th February, with a further three strike days planned for next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The decision to strike follows a 92% vote in favour among teachers, highlighting their dissatisfaction with how they are treated by their employer.

Negotiations Move Slowly

Hopes for a resolution were raised with the appointment of a new CEO at CELT MAT, but progress has been slow. Ian Williams, the NEU Branch Secretary, confirmed that a last-minute Teams meeting took place on Friday, where some movement was made on contractual obligations.

“At a very late stage the Trust did offer a Teams meeting last Friday. Progress was made by an agreement to respect teachers’ contractual obligations. There are still however many issues to be resolved,” said Ian.

Recruitment Crisis Adds Pressure

The dispute comes at a time when schools across the country are struggling to retain staff, with many teachers leaving the profession.

“Parents will rightly ask themselves how things have come to this. Teachers across the country are leaving in their droves. In the midst of a recruitment crisis, CELT MAT has still not resolved this dispute,” Ian added.

With more strikes on the horizon and no clear resolution, the standoff between CELT MAT and the NEU looks set to continue.