TEACHERS and support assistants employed by a private company to work in Waltham Forest's schools have gone on strike today (Wednesday March 21).
Staff on the payroll of Babcock, which is contracted by the council to improve schools, are angry that 47 of them will lose their jobs when the firm's contract with the authority expires at the end of this month.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) also claims Babcock has broken a promise on the amount of redundancy pay it will give.
Disruption is thought to be minimal and no schools have closed as a result.
Waltham Forest NUT secretary Rinaldo Frezzato said: "These staff are there to help and support children. What's going to happen when they're gone?"
A total of 28 Babcock staff will not be made redundant and will be transferred to work for the council when it takes over responsibility for school improvement next month.
Teaching staff across the borough are to hold another strike next Wednesday (March 28) in a separate dispute over pensions. In contrast to today's action it is expected to cause major disruption.
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