Union urges TUC congress to push for Government review into failing trust.

GMB, the union for teaching assistants, is calling for an investigation into alleged ‘nepotism and bullying’ at Wakefield City Academies Trust schools.

The union will also demand job guarantees for all staff working at the failing trust.

GMB is seconding a motion to TUC congress today which also calls for a proper review into what went wrong at the failing academy chain.

During the speech, GMB delegate Allison Morrell will highlight:

Management wages spiralling upwards as investment in the schools dropped away

Trust CEO Mike Ramsey procuring an IT system for the schools from a tech company owned by his daughter costing just under £300k in the year up to August 2016- with more spent since.

A CEO earning £25,000 a month salary and £46,101 for being an Executive Advisor to the Trust.

A contract for administrative support services again awarded to Mike Ramsay’s daughter worth £123k

Last week – the first week of term - WCAT announced would no longer be able to run its 21 schools.

The trust said it was unable to "facilitate the rapid improvement our academies need, and our students deserve".

Allison Morrell, GMB, Delegate, will tell TUC Congress today: “Right across the 21 schools in the Trust there was a culture of bullying and harassment and failure to apply agreed policies and consequently an increase in staff sickness absence including mental health.

“GMB support staff and teaching unions have been ringing alarm bells now for some time- and here we are- along with the pupils and families left to pick up the pieces.

 “Congress WCAT is not the first to fail and it won’t be the last.

“Justine Greening says it is important to take swift action to have the school rebrokered now.

“We say- this is not good enough- our schools must be brought back to local democratic control.

“Or these disasters will keep on coming

“Our children and their future deserve better.

“Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end?”

 ENDS