Some school staff earn less than minimum wage - union

Some school support staff are earning less than minimum wage because of the way their salaries are paid, according to a union.

Unison Cymru said their pay was also different depending on where they lived in Wales.

It added some staff were routinely asked to take classes when teachers are on planned absences, meaning they are acting well above their pay grade and beyond their skillset.

One teaching assistant with decades of experience said those in the role were "treated as second class citizens, sometimes as skivvies".

The Welsh government said a Strategic Education Workforce Plan will set out steps to make sure teaching assistants have the "recognition and support they deserve".

Teachers in school are supported by a range of other staff, including teaching assistants, cleaners, catering staff and office workers.

But their pay and working conditions are very different from their teaching colleagues, the union said, and many are on low wages which means they have had to take on second jobs to make ends meet.

Julie Morgan from Bridgend has 35 years experience as a learning support officer or teaching assistant.

She is also a union rep for the area, and said she was well aware of the challenges some staff faced, particularly being paid far less than the teachers they work alongside.

"We were a two-car family but we had to get rid of one of our cars because we couldn't afford to run the two," she said.

"We've just had to tighten our belts and be more careful.

"Everything's gone up... compared to the teachers, we're treated as second class citizens, sometimes as skivvies."

Julie Morgan believes many teaching assistants are treated like second class citizens

According to her union, Unison Cymru, teaching assistants are only paid for working nine months of the year because of school holidays, unlike teachers, which means their nine months of pay is stretched over 12 months.

It added many teaching assistants were on fixed term contracts, causing fears over job security, and pay rates were different across Welsh councils with people in different areas getting paid less than in others.

Rosie Lewis from Unison Cymru said this long-term low pay situation meant some ended up earning less than the minimum wage, and has led to substantial hardship.

"Members are having to use food banks in the school to be able to put food on the table for their children," she said.

"We know of lots of schools, a couple in Cardiff for example, where they have a specific food bank for those staff working in the school.

"Now to be in work poverty in that way... is a horrible situation for our members to be in."

Rosie Lewis says support staff are working at a higher level than their pay grade, skillset and experience

Ms Morgan agreed, and added: "When pay increments are talked about, teachers were offered 5.5%. Support staff are offered 2.3%.

"Teachers are already paid a lot more than us, so that gap between teachers and us is getting bigger and bigger, and yet we work so closely together."

Despite this, teaching assistants are being asked to teach classes not just in emergencies but during planned absences by teachers, the union said.

Ms Lewis added: "Our members are often working in a classroom with children on a very regular basis, timetabled in, when they're at a level of teaching assistant where it's not even permissible to do that on a short-term basis."

She added members were "finding themselves working very regularly with children, teaching them when that actually isn't part of their role".

The Welsh Local Government Association said it valued the work of "all non-teaching staff".

"Where issues occur, we are committed to working with trade unions and staff to resolve and also learn from these issues," it said.

The Welsh government said: "Teaching assistants are a key and valued part of our education workforce and we want to make sure they have the recognition and support they deserve.

"The Strategic Education Workforce Plan will set out the next steps to achieving this including improving terms and conditions and working with our partners on a School Support Staff Negotiating Body for Wales."

In a statement, Plaid Cymru said: "Bold steps are needed to make teaching assistant roles more attractive as part of a wider package of measures to address the recruitment and retention issues facing this key sector."