NASUWT Labour conference fringe meeting – call to end shameful fire and rehire of teachers

CALL TO END ‘SHAMEFUL’ FIRE AND REHIRE OF TEACHERS

The NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union is today calling on the government to repeal laws which allow schools to fire and then rehire teachers with worse pay and working conditions.

Speaking at an NASUWT fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach will call for the “shameful” practice to end.

He will be speaking alongside Labour MP Barry Gardiner, whose Private Members’ Bill would end the practice, which allows employers to bully and dismiss workers from their jobs, before offering them the same job with worse pay, pension and working conditions.

The fringe debate will also hear from legal expert Rachel Halliday of Thompsons Solicitors and Daily Mirror Associate Editor Kevin Maguire.

Dr Roach is expected to say: “Fire and Rehire is wrong; it’s unfair and it’s unjust. It is morally indefensible and degrading and damages staff morale and threatens productivity,

“This shameful practice creates a climate of mistrust between employees and their employers and is bad for workers and bad business.

“The NASUWT welcomes the Labour Party’s commitment to end the practice of fire and rehire, but they should go further by demanding the repeal of anti-trade union laws which allow bad employers the  opportunity to exploit workers by using these shameful practices.

“Levelling up means ending inequality and injustice at work which are holding back education and our economy

“No worker should be forced to take industrial action to ensure that the terms of their employment contractual are respected

“Every worker has the right to be treated with decency and respect at work

“Change the law to stop fire and rehire. Nothing else will do.”