By Pat Markey
A well-attended online organising meeting on 9 March discussed Tracy McGuire’s victimisation by Rydal Academy, Darlington, and since then there have been three days of strikes by NEU [National Education Union] members at Shrewsbury College in defence of NEU rep John Boken. Their strike action is to run for three days every week, over three weeks.
The online meeting, hosted by Darlington Trades Council, heard from local and national trade unionists and Labour Party members about the current victimisation cases, and how they can be seen in the wider context of some school bosses clamping down on the space for discussion and union organising that has been opening up during the pandemic.
Victimised NEU reps Tracy McGuire, John Boken, Louise Lewis, and Kirstie Paton all participated, and it is good that the different campaigns have made links and are working together. The NEU nationally needs to step up and urgently develop strategy to ensure our workplace reps are better supported from management victimisation. The Darlington meeting agreed to reconvene soon to discuss local campaigning to seek justice for Tracy.