Teachers strike over health scare

Members of the NASUWT teaching union at the Coatbridge campus of the Buchanan and St Ambrose high schools last month took strike action over health concerns as the new Scottish school term got under way.


Teachers, parents and pupils have raised concerns about water contamination after blue water was discovered coming from the pipes, several current and former teachers experienced health problems and pupils reported a range of health issues. 


The school was built on a former landfill site where waste from a local steel works was also taken.


An independent review ordered by the Scottish government concluded that the schools are safe and there is no link between the campus and illness. 


Strike action at the end of last term was initially sparked by the failure of North Lanarkshire council and the government to take seriously the concerns of teachers working on the campus. The action remained in place as the schools reopened on 12 August before discussions on a planned return to work of NASUWT members on 16 August. 


The EIS Scottish teachers’ union welcomed the publication of the review and a number of its recommendations, including the formation of a site recovery group. 


But it criticised the council’s mishandling of the situation and called for ongoing tests and inspections of ground, soil and gas conditions and for health screening to be made available to pupils or teachers who want it.

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/publication/2019/08/buchanan-st-ambrose-independent-review/documents/buchanan-st-ambrose-high-school-campus-independent-review/buchanan-st-ambrose-high-school-campus-independent-review/govscot%3Adocument/buchanan-st-ambrose-high-school-campus-independent-review.pdf