Derby school support staff 'could lose 25% of pay'

According to Unison, Derby City Council wants to increase full-time posts in schools from 32.5 hours to 37 hours to be in line with other departments

School support staff in Derby face pay cuts of thousands of pounds a year due to proposed changes to their terms and conditions, a union said.

The authority is carrying out a pay review across more than 70 schools in the city involving 7,000 people.

The union Unison said it would mean staff such as teaching assistants and site managers could lose up to 25% of their pay.

The council said it needed to ensure all its staff were treated equally.

Nicole Berrisford, of Unison, said the council wanted to only pay school support staff during term-time and increase their standard working week from 32.5 to 37 hours.

She said: "Schools rely on support staff to keep going - without them schools wouldn't be able to function.

"For years now, support staff have worked up and beyond their working hours, without pay, and that's all been based on goodwill and commitment to the young people.

"That will stop if these changes are implemented."

She added: "The reaction from our members in schools is one of disgust, distress and anger. There's low morale and they are going to want to withdraw [their] goodwill."

Unison said some council employees in schools were working up to 60 hours a week, much of it unpaid

The city council is yet to comment on the proposals, but did issue a statement.

It said: "The aim of the review is to ensure that the council meets its legal requirement that all employees receive equal pay for work of equal value and common terms and conditions wherever they work in the council."

If the pay review is implemented, it will come into force in January.

Unison said it would ballot members over possible strike action.