Teachers at a Glasgow school are continuing with strike action in a dispute over dealing with alleged safety risks in the classroom.

Members of the NASUWT union are taking strike action this week over what it says is a 'failure to make sufficient progress in addressing violent and abusive pupil behaviour’.

The union said it made some progress but claims the council has said teachers will be docked pay if they refuse to stay in a class with a pupil that is allegedly threatening their safety.

If there is no resolution, another eight days of strike action is planned for next month.

The dispute focuses on Bannerman High School’s Language and Communication Resource, which caters for pupils with autism.

The council said measures are in place to deal with safety concerns, teachers at the unit are highly trained and if staff refuse to teach they are in breach of contract.

The union said there are more measures still needed to reassure its members regarding their safety, including an updated risk assessment and more clarity on how some incidents will be handled in the future.

Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “We remain committed to further negotiations with Glasgow City Council to seek to resolve this dispute.

“A resolution is being made more difficult to reach by continued threats from the council to dock the pay of our members who are taking action to ensure their safety at work.

“Rather than seeking to punish teachers for standing up for their basic right to a safe workplace, Glasgow City Council should be removing obstacles to resolution of this dispute and demonstrate that they are serious about fulfilling their duty of care to staff.”

Glasgow City Council said it doesn’t expect teachers to say in a situation where their safety is threatened but can't accept singling out one pupil and refusing to teach them before they are in the class.

A council spokesperson said: “The safety of our staff is taken very seriously and additional measures have been in place at the school to meet the needs of the teachers and support staff in the ASL base and the refusal to teach by some members can only be seen as victimisation of young people with significant needs.

“The position that has been outlined yet again by the NASUWT is an inaccurate reflection of the extensive, ongoing support by the council and senior management at the school and it is deeply upsetting that the school continues to be dragged through the media to create sensational headlines.

“The school has a ratio of one teacher to every three pupils in the base as well as pupil support workers with individual support plans for young people.

“The council’s actions being portrayed as bullying is disingenuous and no member of staff has been threatened.

“Our legal view has been made very clear to the NASUWT that refusal to teach an individual young person is considered breach of contract and we have consistently engaged with the union and will continue to do so.”