Unions representing school support staff are demanding a 12.7% pay rise from April and better recognition of SEND expertise in the formal pay and conditions of teaching assistants.
The GMB, Unite, and UNISON – which represent 1.4 million school and council employees in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – have formally submitted the pay claim to the local government pay negotiating body, the National Joint Council (NJC).
The unions are claiming 12.7% as this equates to the RPI rate of inflation of 10.7% (as forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility) plus 2%.
The claim also asks employers to “consider the introduction of a minimum pay rate of £15 per hour over the next two years”.
