Anger over school staff pay deal in County Durham

SCORN has been poured on a new deal for teaching assistants after months of negotiations.

County councillors voted to pass a new deal for teaching staff by 52 to 36 last week after union members and county officials came to an agreement. But some teaching assistants have been shocked and appalled by the fresh contract – claiming 22 per cent of their number would suffer a pay cut and any pay rise would be two years away.

Former dale teaching assistant Catherine Bonnett was disgusted when the initial deal was announced.

Her view on the new negotiated settlement was little different. She added: “They had barely 36 hours to consider the implications or investigate the facts of this long running and divisive dispute. This surely cannot be considered good governance.”

Ms Bonnett did not think claims of a “pay rise” painted a complete picture.

She added: “In fact 472 teaching assistants, almost a quarter of the workforce, will still lose pay under the new proposal.”

The disagreement was spawned when teaching assistants were “fired and rehired” on new contracts in 2015 to prevent equal pay claims against the county council.

Teaching assistants took industrial action after voting against the proposals which they claimed would result in pay cuts of up to 23 per cent in real terms.

The council put plans to impose the contract on ice in December and a breakthrough consultation between the parties involved was revealed at Barnard Castle Town Council earlier this year.

A report by the county council revealed that “revised roles and responsibilities” would replace existing job descriptions and staff would be “aligned to new grading structures” agreed by headteachers of individual schools.

It added: “The main driver behind these proposals continues to be one of equity and fairness. The review of roles and responsibilities and grading has ensured that all jobs have been evaluated and graded in a consistent and objective way.”

In a newsletter to members, Durham’s branch of Unison said the offer was “not perfect” but added that it was a “significant improvement” on the council’s previous offer. Unions will hold their own vote on whether to accept the deal by the end of the summer term. Ms Bonnett thought it was “entirely possible” for teaching assistants could reject it. She added: “For 472 teaching assistants there is now potentially another two years of anxiety and stress as they wait to see what the outcome of further reviews will mean for them.”

The new contract will take effect on September 1.