An estimated 10,000 Birmingham teachers and lecturers will join Wednesday's public sector strike, a union boss has claimed.
Nearly a third of schools in the city have already said they will be closed to pupils after members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), NASUWT, National Association of Head Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the University and College Union (UCU) all backed the national walkout over the Government’s public sector pension plans.
A total of 132 of Birmingham’s 443 schools have confirmed they will close, and more than half of Solihull’s 59 schools will also be shutting.
Teaching at University of Birmingham, Aston University and Birmingham City University will also be affected.
Education Secretary Michael Gove accused union leaders of “wanting” to wreck economic recovery.
Doug Morgan, assistant secretary of the Birmingham branch of the NUT, said: “None of us wanted to strike, we are in this profession because we care about the future, and taking this action is a last resort.”
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: “Schools will be informing families via the usual channels, but if people are in any doubt then they should contact the school directly.”
