Strikes occur over MAT central charges
Teachers and support staff from five schools set up picket lines yesterday and the day before (1 and 2 July) in what has been dubbed as the first academy trust strike of its kind.
The academies are challenging the University of Brighton Academies Trust (UoBAT), which fund the schools, over its alleged withholding of money.
The National Education Union (NEU) said the trust has conceded its need to radically change its funding model in talks.
However, it decided to go ahead with strikes because UoBAT “has failed to assure staff that the cut needed for this will only fall on the central trust – not school budgets”.
The schools involved are Burgess Hill Academy, Hastings Academy, St Leonards Academy, Robsack Wood Academy and the Baird Academy.
The industrial action does not affect the other eight academies within the trust in East and West Sussex, and they will remain open as usual.
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