Childcare rules relaxed for pension strike

Thousands of schools are remained closed as teachers and support staff joined other public sector workers in a walkout over pensions.

Prime Minister David Cameron said parents should be allowed to bring their children to work during the strikes where it is safe to do so.

Some private companies went even further setting up their own childcare to help parents without babysitters.

Channel 4 News has learned that Ofsted is relaxing the rules surrounding registering childcare facilities because of the “exceptional” circumstances of the industrial action.

Normally businesses would have to provide written notice 14 days before they wanted to set up a facility to exempt themselves from registration.

An Ofsted spokeperson said: “People who want to offer childcare for children aged under eight for less than 14 days in a year can do so without registration providing they notify us in advance.

“If someone wishes to offer childcare only for the day of the strike they may telephone us to tell us before they start to do this, but they must ensure they follow up their phone call and claim the exemption in writing.”

Read more: How will the strikes affect you?

‘Childcare crisis’

Sodexo Motivation Solutions, which provides childcare vouchers, organised a “bring your kids to work day” to help staff with children.

Mother of two Becky Brown is the company’s marketing manager. She told Channel 4 News she had a “childcare crisis” before they came up with the idea.

“I have three meetings booked in on Wednesday and I don’t have any relatives nearby.”

She added: “The main thing for me is the inconvenience. As a private sector employee I only get 20 days off a year and I’d rather take time off when I have things planned for the children.”

But not all businesses can offer spontaneous childcare.

David Remmer owns Ye Olde Talbot pub in Uttoxeter and employs four women who have children. He has given them a paid day off and is drafting in his partner to help him run the business.

Mr Remmer told Channel 4 News the pub is no place for children and said that the strike would cause inconvenience.

“I don’t think they (people striking) realise how much damage they’ll do to a small business like mine. And I’m just one business.”

A ‘women’s day of action’

Unions are defending the walk-out and say it could be the biggest action of its kind since 1926.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National of Teachers (NUT), said: “This dispute has been created by a government which is determined to steamroller through pension reform that will irreparably damage teachers’ pensions.

“The issue has united the teaching profession, as will be demonstrated on 30 November.

“This strike has nothing to with ‘militants’ but everything to do with teachers and headteachers who do not believe the government is being fair or reasonable.”

Unison said it would be a “women’s day of action” because of the huge numbers of women taking part.

Leader Dave Prentis said he did not trust the government’s figures on pensions, adding that opinion polls showed the public believed unions more than ministers, and had sympathy with public sector workers.

“The public believes in the justice of our case despite the best efforts of the coalition to denigrate union leaders and public service workers.”