STRIKES by teachers are continuing at Machynlleth’s Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, as they push for plans for staff redundancies to be scrapped.

Members of the NASUWT teachers union braved freezing weather on Thursday, 8 March, as part of strike action protesting against compulsory staff redundancies.

A total of 14 posts have already been lost over the last five years, with more expected, despite Powys County Council insisting that staffing levels would be preserved for at least three years when the school was formed.

This has led members of the union to say that they reluctantly had to make the decision to take strike action to fight for jobs.

A NASUWT spokesperson said: “Ysgol Bro Hyddgen is a small school but still has to provide a full curriculum and we need the specialist staff to do this.

“Our pupils deserve the same standard of education as those in less rural areas and it is important that we made a stand.

“We feel very let down by the school governors who are still unwilling to halt the redundancy process, and are effectively ignoring our views.”

Ian Budd, Powys council’s director of education, said: “Whilst the authority has and continues to prioritise education funding, as elsewhere the funding settlement has not been able to match pay and price inflation.

“Officers from the council will continue to work with the school and trade union partners to minimise any compulsory redundancies that are required for the school to be able to maintain a legal and sustainable budget.”

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