UNISON members at a Leicester special educational needs school have indicated that they will take industrial action over the suspension of their trade union rep, Tom Barker, a Socialist Alternative member.
By Socialist Alternative reporters
A petition circulated to members alongside the ballot, signed by many, describes the suspension as “a bad-faith attack on UNISON members” from their employer and a “reprisal for voting for industrial action” in a previous ballot.
UNISON members at Ash Field Academy were consulted in an indicative ballot over the Christmas period and asked whether they would be willing to take industrial action over the suspension of their rep. The ballot was completed on 5 January, with 74% of members voting in favour of industrial action on a turnout which cleared the legal 50% minimum threshold.
Many additional members also put their names to a petition and a collective grievance. The background for the latest dispute has been described previously by UNISON Leicester City Branch as “union busting”, given the context in which it happened – in the middle of another industrial dispute.
Redundancy consultation
Since Ash Field Academy was taken over by Discovery Schools Academy Trust (DSAT) in 2024, staffing levels had been significantly reduced via ‘natural wastage’ (i.e. not replacing those who leave). Shortly before the Summer 2025 break, DSAT leaders launched a redundancy consultation which resulted in further cuts to staffing.
Together, these measures led to the loss of approximately 10% of the school’s workforce. Most of this was in frontline workers. Those cuts greatly increased the workload of the remaining staff, stretching them to the point that their health and safety, as well as that of Ash Field students, was at risk.
In a joint statement, UNISON Leicester City Branch and City of Leicester NEU described the redundancy consultation, which took place over just 11 working days, as “rushed”, accusing DSAT leaders of “breaching ACAS’s recommendation for ‘meaningful’ consultation, and a dereliction of the employer’s duty of care to its employees”.
UNISON also warned DSAT’s leadership that their actions could lead to strikes, but the Trust refused to change course, insisting on pressing ahead with their proposed cuts. After the implementation of the redundancies, UNISON Leicester City Branch then proceeded to launch an industrial action ballot to challenge these decisions. On 22 October, 86% of members voted for strikes in a formal industrial action ballot over inadequate staffing levels, excessive workload, and health and safety.
Tom Barker, the UNISON steward in the workplace, was suspended just three working days after the completion of the ballot.
Following the threat of these strikes, DSAT leaders have since agreed to restore staffing to 2024 levels, with a 12-month commitment to no compulsory redundancies. However, they have so far refused to negotiate on the suspension of the workplace union steward. A formal industrial action ballot is now ongoing.
Reinstate Tom!
With the dispute about staffing concluded, UNISON Leicester City Branch calls upon DSAT to work constructively with UNISON, and our elected representatives to build a working environment that is conducive to quality education. That means lifting the suspension of Tom Barker, and allowing any residual issues to be settled constructively.
UNISON members at Ash Field assert that “DSAT’s actions constitute trade union victimisation – not just of Tom, but of all of us”. They say that they “have been left without access to our elected workplace representative, depriving us of a core trade union right in the middle of an industrial dispute”.
With around 100 members, Ash Field Academy is one of UNISON Leicester City Branch’s most densely organised workplaces. Tom Barker, who also sits on the union’s national leadership (NEC), has worked at Ash Field for close to ten years and has been a UNISON steward at the school since 2019.
Leicester and District Trades Union Council, the main body that organises unions in the region, has initiated an open letter to DSAT leaders which has now been signed by more than 400 trade unionists from across the country, including UNISON’s newly elected General Secretary, Andrea Egan. Sign the letter here.
Zarah Sultana will be speaking at a rally calling for Tom’s reinstatement at 6.30pm, 18 February at Hansom Hall, Leicester Adult Education Centre, 50–54 Belvoir Street, Leicester, LE1 6QL. Reserve your tickets here.
