School support staff should reject a “disappointing” pay offer, the union Unison has said as it prepares to consult its members next week.
This year support staff have been offered a pay increase of at least £1,290 from local government employers, which equates to 5.77 per cent for the lowest paid, from 1 April 2024.
However, both Unison and the union GMB, which also represents school support staff workers, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the increase.
Unison has said it will consult hundreds of thousands of workers in local government and schools over the £1,290 offer made last week, with a recommendation they vote to reject it.
A union spokesperson said it could then move to a strike ballot if members do vote to reject the pay increase.
Last year school support staff received a pay rise of £1,925, equivalent to an increase of 9.42 per cent for the lowest-paid employees.
School support staff pay offer ‘falls short’
The pay offer for support staff also covers people working in a number of local council roles.
The GMB has that it will speak to representatives to decide its position on the offer before balloting members on whether to accept or reject it.
Today Mike Short, head of local government at Unison, said: “The offer is disappointing and falls short of the level council and school workers deserve.
“Staff have seen the value of their pay plummet, while often being asked to do even more. They provide vital services to their communities by supporting the most vulnerable, educating children and keeping people safe.”
Last week Rachel Harrison, national secretary at the GMB, said: “On the face of it, the deal looks disappointing - a cash lump sum of £1,290 equating to just 5.7 per cent for the lowest paid.”
School leaders have previously warned that increases in pay for support staff would “exacerbate” financial pressures that the sector is facing.
Earlier this month the Commons Education Select Committee called for the Department for Education to ensure that support staff pay rises are factored into and funded in school budgets.
On teacher pay, Tes recently revealed that multi-academy trust leaders were worried that a pay rise above 2 to 3 per cent for 2024-25 would be “unaffordable” within funding allocations set for next year.
In a survey of members by Unison last year, nearly half of school support staff said they were looking for better-paid work amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures, while Tes previously revealed warnings from special-school leaders that cuts to “critical” classroom support staff could lead to heads not being able to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff.
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