County Durham Council claims teaching assistant strike 'threatening jobs'

A picket line was set up at Annfield Plain Junior School

Resolving a teaching assistant pay dispute could threaten hundreds of jobs, a council has claimed.

Teaching assistants are staging a 48-hour strike over Durham County Council's proposal to only pay them during term time.

But Councillor Jane Brown, Labour cabinet member, said resolving the dispute would cost millions of pounds and "hundreds of jobs".

Unison said cutting low-paid workers salaries was "heartless and appalling".

About 100 schools had to close or cut lessons during a two-day stoppage earlier this month.

The latest action will affect 87 schools - 70% will be partially closed and 19 will shut for both days, the county council said.

'Slashing pay'

Ms Brown said the council could not afford to raise the wages of other employees in line with those of teaching assistants and it was facing equal pay claims.

"It was brought to our attention that the teaching assistants were on a contract that was very different from the rest of our workforce.

"They also get paid for more hours than they actually work and almost six weeks extra holiday fully paid a year than the rest of our employees - we really had to address this situation", she said.

Union bosses said the council's proposals would mean a 20% drop in support staff salaries.

Unison northern regional secretary Clare Williams said: "It's very simple, there can be no justification to say you are tackling an equal pay issue by slashing pay by up to 23%.

"Teaching assistants are dedicated to their jobs and the children they teach.

"They don't want to be taking strike action, but the council has left them with no option."