John Dennis

On Tuesday the headteacher at Dumfries High School was given a last chance by both EIS & SSTA reps to reconsider his decision to bring in S5 & S6 on the strike day. We informed all staff that we had done so. He responded by reiterating his previous decision. He said he was acting "in the interests of the pupils". The other 3 secondaries in Dumfries were completely closed to pupils. He was annoyed by the local agreement we have with UNISON and UNITE.

[Once a school closure (for ALL pupils) is announced, the picket line is either withdrawn or not applied to teachers. In return the EIS rep holds an official solidarity collection for the strikers' hardship fund. The last 2 (unofficial) collections in Dumfries High (in August and at the time of the pensions strike 2 years ago) raised £750 each. This time the EIS local Exec agreed to spread this to all schools.- Result 14 out of 15 secondaries hit [10, but not Dumfries High, closed completely] and 39 primaries (including 80% of the biggest ones) closed completely due to a strict application of Health and Safety rules and total refusal to do ANY duties normally performed by strikers - as advised in a detailed EIS advice letter from the local Exec. (available from me on request).]

Come the strike day those going to work seemed to be determined to get in extra early (but they didnae manage to avoid the pickets (7 strong supplemented by supporting teachers whose number grew spectacularly as 9 o'clock neared).

In the end 38 teachers (33 EIS and 5 SSTA) refused to cross the picket line. Probationers were advised to go in because of their vulnerable position. Some teachers went in and then left a short time later because they couldn't square crossing the picket line with their consciences. Only about a third of the kids came in and many of them left when they realized how pointless it was.

All the janitors, 2 out of 4 technicians, all Support for Learning Assistants, all cleaners bar one, all but one of the clerical staff and all bar 2 of the kitchen staff went on strike.

The enraged headie tried to get permission to discipline us as "secondary pickets" but the Council sensibly stuck by its policy of no disciplinary action (other than the loss of a day's pay). [This is in sharp contrast to East Lothian Council which issued Written Warnings to a group of teachers who refused to cross a picket line at Musselburgh Grammar in August.They've been abandoned by the EIS.]

We received a heroes' welcome at the Dumfries strike rally later that morning and the news I brought the rally of the £2,000 raised in collections in 4 schools in August , plus the £1,000 donated to the local UNISON hardship fund by D & G EIS Exec and the further official collection being taken by EIS reps (except unfortunately in Dumfries High) got a series of loud cheers and applause from the assembled strikers.

Now the challenge is  to change the EIS's crap national policy (which advises teachers to listen politely to pickets and then proceed in to work) and bring it into line with what we've agreed with the other unions in Dumfries & Galloway.