by our Industrial reporter @TrinderMatt

A FORMAL strike ballot for teachers threatened by fire-and-rehire attacks over pensions at a prestigious independent school in north-east London was announced by their union today. 

The National Education Union (NEU) accused Forest School of putting pressure on workers who are members of the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS) to accept a new, inferior scheme from September. 

All state, academy and most independent-employed teachers across England and Wales can be members of the TPS, but school bosses now want to replace it with an alternative that will offer “no guarantee as to what will be paid in retirement,” the union said.

It warned that teachers who resist the move at the site in Waltham Forest could be sacked and rehired on inferior contracts. 

Some 94 per cent of NEU members at the school voted in December’s indicative ballot, with 91 per cent backing action. A formal ballot will now follow later in January. 

Joint secretary of the NEU’s local branch Pablo Phillips said: “Forest School are not in financial difficulty and potentially withdrawing from the pension scheme will create a very big brain drain.

“This is certainly something that the parents and pupils will not want. All education staff have worked incredibly hard in very difficult and dangerous circumstances in the last two years and attacking a pension scheme would not be just reward.”

Mr Phillips said managers were refusing to negotiate while denying teachers the right to meet their union representatives on school premises.

He added: “We are committed to a resolution and will continue to negotiate in good faith. 

“This is an exceptionally strong mandate, on which the employer would be wise to reflect.”

Forest School did not wish to comment.