
Brighton school staff to strike over job and pension cuts
Phil Clarke, regional secretary of the NEU, said they are calling for both the "fire and rehire" idea and compulsory redundancies to be withdrawn. Mr Clarke said: "NEU members do not engage in strike action lightly, but it is clear industrial action is their only option in this situation."The current TPS contribution the school pays is 28.68%. Should the revised pension contribution cap be approved, the NEU says teachers either have to fund the difference via reduced take-home pay or move to a "proposed inferior private contribution scheme"."With the cost-of-living crisis, more support staff are finding it increasingly difficult to afford to live close to the school, and so the changes proposed by the employer are simply unacceptable," Mr Clarke added.
Roedean School was founded in 1885 and it is an independent school for girls aged 11 to 18.The strikes are due to take place on 30 April and 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15 May.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
24-07-2025
- Telegraph
Taxpayers forced to pay extra £900m to retired teachers
Taxpayers have handed an extra £900m to retired teachers after the cost of their pensions hit almost £13bn a year, official figures show. The average retiree received £17,750 in 2024-25, according to the Teachers' Pension Scheme's annual report, more than double the amount spent per school pupil. Current teachers also received an extra 24pc in pension contributions, costing taxpayers £1.9bn more than the previous year. It comes as strikes by the National Education Union took almost 600 teaching days away from schools last year. Most members of the England and Wales Teachers' Pension Scheme are in state schools, but others work in participating independent schools, further education and higher education. Their employer must pay pension contributions of 28.6pc on their behalf, but they contribute just 9.4pc on average themselves. In return, they receive a guaranteed, inflation-linked pension for life. According to the report, the scheme spent £10.9bn on teachers' pensions, and just over £600m on dependant pensions last year. It also paid out £1.3bn in tax-free lump sums, taking the overall cost of pensions to £12.8bn, up from £11.9bn in 2023-24. The average retiree received £17,750, up from £16,600 the year before. Per student spending for 2024-25 was £7,920 in England and £7,926 in Wales. Liz Emerson, of the Intergenerational Foundation think tank, said 'unaffordable' teachers' pensions were putting children's education at risk. She said: 'Spending on their education should not be curtailed by cutting resources in order to pay for these unaffordable final salary pensions. 'Our children's educations are at risk today due to the iceberg of pension liabilities hidden by profligate promises made in the past. Politicians of all parties should hang their heads in shame that they continue to allow these overgenerous pension promises to persist. 'One solution would be to offer salary increases for equivalent decreases in tax payer-funded pension contribution rates.' Rising employer contributions The cost of employer pension contributions for current teachers – funded by the taxpayer – also increased from £7bn to £8.9bn following a 5pc hike in the amount schools are required to pay in. It was the latest in a series of increases to employer contributions necessitated by the rising costs of the scheme, which has now built up £291bn in pension promises. Schools were previously asked to contribute just 16.5pc as recently as 2019, but the amount has since been increased twice to hit the current level of 28.6pc. State schools are legally required to offer membership of the scheme, which left taxpayers footing the bill for an extra £1.25bn handed to schools to meet the increased cost of employer contributions last year. However, private schools are free to withdraw or close it to new staff, leaving some experts to predict they will be driven out for financial reasons. Hannah English, of pension advisors Hymans Robertson, said: 'As independent schools are facing increasing financial pressure, many schools – now over 400 – have opted out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme and around 300 have decided to stop offering it to new teachers. 'The question that independent schools are having to consider is, at what cost will they remain in the scheme? If staff are taking pay cuts – or facing possible redundancies – is this a price worth paying for a generous pension scheme?' Matt Wrack, of the NASUWT teaching union, said: 'Pensions are deferred salaries to which teachers contribute a significant proportion of their income throughout their working life. Further attacks on teachers and other public sector workers would be outrageous and would be resisted.'


Scotsman
14-07-2025
- Scotsman
Owner of abandoned Edinburgh pub threatens legal action against bar and restaurant group
The owner of an abandoned Edinburgh pub has threatened potential legal action against one of the UK's biggest bar and restaurant groups over the state of the building. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The former Busy Bee pub in Saughton Mains closed in around 2016 and has stood empty ever since, gradually falling into disrepair as the weeds grow around it. In recent weeks nearby residents have begun a campaign for action over what they say has become an eyesore. Last week they staged a protest at the site amid calls for the building to be demolished and replaced with a community hub or new housing. The Busy Bee has been closed for nearly a decade | supplied Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Owner Fiona Clarke has already rejected a proposal for demolition put forward by Mitchells and Butlers, who own brands including All Bar One, Toby Carvery and Browns, and have a lease on the Busy Bee which runs until 2069. And Ms Clarke - whose father bought the premises, formerly Saughton Mains Congregational Church, in 1970 - has launched a Facebook page where she has warned she is ready to take legal action. She wrote: 'A final dilapidations survey is being completed to assess the full extent of repairs required due to ongoing leaseholder inaction (est. completion: August 2025). This report will be formally served to Mitchells & Butlers, the current leaseholder, along with a legal request for payment or remedial action. 'If no agreement is reached within a reasonable period, we will initiate legal proceedings. This may include a formal court process to pursue recovery of costs and/or seek to bring the lease to an end. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This is not a quick process, but we are committed to using every legal avenue available to hold the leaseholder accountable and unlock the potential of this site for the local community.' In another post, she criticises Mitchells & Butlers and claims their demolition proposal 'seems at odds with their stated commitment to sustainability and zero operational waste to landfill by 2030'. She continues: 'We call on Mitchells & Butlers to explore sustainable renovation rather than demolition; engage directly with the local community; respect the social and cultural value of this historic site. Let's preserve this place for future generations — not erase it.' Mitchells & Butlers told the Evening News earlier this month they had tried to sell the lease on the pub, but there had been no interest. They said: "We have also actively explored alternative uses for the building, but progress has been hindered by restrictions within the lease. Realistically, we now believe the building to be beyond it's usable economic life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "In light of this, Mitchells & Butlers has made a proposal to the freeholder to demolish the building. We are committed to working closely with the freeholder, local stakeholders, charities, and the city council to explore and deliver a new use for the site.'


Scotsman
11-07-2025
- Scotsman
Residents living near abandoned Edinburgh pub call for its demolition and replacement by community hub
Residents living close to an abandoned pub are calling for the building to be demolished and replaced by a community hub. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... People in Edinburgh's Saughton Mains staged a protest at the site of the former Busy Bee pub on Thursday to voice their frustration at the lack of action which has allowed the place to fall into disrepair since the pub closed about a decade ago. Pat Carr, chair of Stenhouse, Saughton Mains and Whitson Community Council, said: 'I spoke to everyone that was there and the general opinion is they're fed up with it, it's an eyesore, they want it demolished and rebuilt as something that the community can use, like a community hub or houses. That would be their preference.' Saughton Mains residents protest outside the abandoned Bus Bee pub | contributed Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Busy Bee - which appeared in Trainspotting 2 - was originally built as Saughton Mains Congregational Church but is now owned by Fiona Clarke, whose father bought it around 1970 and converted the building to a pub. He let it on a 99-year lease to Bass Taverns, who were taken over by Mitchells & Butlers, now one of the biggest bar and restaurant groups in the UK. The pub closed around 2016, but the lease still has 44 years still to run. Mitchells & Butlers have said the building is beyond its usable economic life and they have proposed demolition. But that would require the agreement of Ms Clarke as owner. She has set up a Facebook page, where she has indicated she is opposed to demolition. She has posted, urging Mitchells & Butlers to 'explore sustainable renovation rather than demolition' and 'respect the social and cultural value of this historic site'. And she added: 'Let's preserve this place for future generations — not erase it.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In another post, Ms Clarke said: 'Rather than demolishing it, we propose a sensitive redevelopment that respects its heritage and serves the community: a small row of local shops - perhaps a bakery, a café, and affordable essentials; a green communal garden and outdoor gym space; above, a modest block of affordable flats to help address Edinburgh's housing needs.' The Busy Bee has been closed for nearly a decade | supplied But Ms Carr, at the community council, pointed out there was a row of derelict shops on a neighbouring site where planning permission was granted for new flats with shops underneath, but nothing had happened. She said:'The Busy Bee has become a blight on our local community with the state of the building reflecting the lack of basic care shown by the leaseholder and the owner. 'It appears for years now that financial gain has been placed above the well-being of local residents.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Independent Sighthill/Gorgie councillor Ross McKenzie said: "Many of the local residents who came together for the meeting are really angry that this site has been left to rot in the middle of their community. For those who live next to it, this affects their daily lives as vermin thrives on the site. 'We're asking the landowner and leaseholder to find a solution. The landowner takes a tidy rent for the site and the leaseholder made profits of over £300m last year. These people can afford to fix this and it's time they got on with it."