Teachers walk out over violent and abusive behaviour by pupils at high school in Glasgow

Teachers at a high school in Glasgow are taking strike action after concerns were raised over violent and abusive behaviour by pupils.

Members of the NASUWT teachers’ union at Bannerman High School will walk out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

A further eight days of strike action are planned to take place during December.

The union has said that teachers at the school have been verbally abused and threatened by pupils.

Glasgow City Council has been urged to ensure there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect teachers.

Talks were held between the council and the union in an attempt to avoid the strike action.

According to the NASUWT, teachers at the school were told they would be sent home without pay if they refuse to remain in a classroom with a pupil who is threatening their safety.

The council has denied that any members of staff have been threatened over pay, suggesting that the NASUWT was giving an “inaccurate reflection” of the support made available by the council to teachers.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, insisted that the council must seek to remove obstacles in order to resolve the dispute.

“We remain committed to further negotiations with Glasgow City Council to seek to resolve this dispute,” he said.

“A resolution is being made more difficult to reach by continued threats from the council to dock the pay of our members who are taking action to ensure their safety at work.

“Rather than seeking to punish teachers for standing up for their basic right to a safe workplace, Glasgow City Council should be removing obstacles to resolution of this dispute and demonstrate that they are serious about fulfilling their duty of care.”

Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official Scotland, urged the council to work with the union on creating a safe environment.

“Whilst the council has acknowledged that there are safety issues at the school and have told us they are seeking to address those, they seem intent on punishing our members for refusing to accept verbal and physical abuse,” said Corbett.

“In the interests of all staff and pupils at Bannerman the council needs to focus on working with us to create a safe environment in which teachers feel supported and safe to work.”