Plume Academy teachers are set to go on strike next Wednesday (February 1) unless an agreement can be reached with the government, the National Education Union (NEU) has said.

7,000 Essex NEU members could take action in the first of four proposed strikes nationwide.

A picket line will be running in Fambridge Road, Maldon, from 6.30am until 10am. It is not yet known how this will affect students at Plume Academy on the day, or whether the school will be closed.

"When your pay is eroded, it's a struggle to retain staff and recruit new staff to the profession."

Rob Howlett, a teacher at the school and Central Essex Secretary for the NEU, told Nub News: "We just want the government to get round the table with our union executives and come up with an agreement that works for everyone.

"When your pay is eroded, it's a struggle to retain staff and recruit new staff to the profession.

"There are teachers I know who are single parents, and they're struggling to either heat or provide food at home. They're having to reach out for support from extended family, food banks and other local charities.

"You go to university, get a professional qualification to become a teacher, and then we have a situation where we're struggling to live - despite playing a pivotal part in the lives of young people."

Murray Sackwild, Secretary of the NEU's Essex Branch, told Nub News: "Over the last 12 years, we have seen year on year real terms cuts to education funding - meaning fewer teachers, fewer support assistants and fewer resources.

"Teachers are demoralised with excessive workloads, often 50 to 60-hour weeks and annually depreciating pay - about 20 per cent real terms reduction. This is mirrored by similar deteriorating pay and conditions for nurses, fire-fighters and ambulance drivers."

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"Last September was the final straw. As inflation soared to over 11 per cent, teachers received a five per cent award, heralded by the Government as the biggest pay award for years."

This meant pay was still 25 per cent behind where it had been in 2010.

Mr Sackwild continued: "Even more challenging - the cost of the award was to be completely unfunded and would have to be found from current, already diminished, school budgets.

"For years we've sought to negotiate and discuss and have used all lobbying methods to press our claims. All efforts have been ignored.

"We desperately hope for enough to call off this action. We are simply asking for a fully funded, inflation linked pay award - so that we can return to our classrooms and our classrooms can function properly."

A spokesperson for Plume Academy has been approached for comment.

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