- Conference
- 2007 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 23 February 2007
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Following on from previous Local Government Conference decisions, this conference welcomes the movement towards establishing a national framework for school support staff in England. Conference notes that over one third of schools in England are already self governing, with staff directly employed by the school, and that this figure is likely to increase. Given this diversity, Conference believes it is essential to have a consistent and fair structure for school staff that can apply across community and self-governing schools.
This Conference calls on the Service Group Executive (SGE) to ensure any national framework:
1)can deliver a fair and equality proofed pay and grading structure
2)applies to all maintained schools and is supported by statutory underpinning
3) is capable of delivering justice for term-time workers
4) can deliver a career and staff development structure across the range of support and professional staff in schools.
5) includes improvements on rights to facilities and time-off for unions representing school support and professional staff
Conference is aware that this may have implications for the Local Government National Joint Council (NJC) as well as for school support staff in Wales and Northern Ireland. Conference, therefore, calls on the SGE to ensure:
a) there is full consultation with branches and a ballot of members in schools in England on any proposals.
b) That there is a separate consultation with branches in Cymru/Wales on the whole issue in light of the different circumstances pertinent to Wales.
c) there is consultation and an exchange in information with UNISON in Scotland and Northern Ireland on developments affecting school staff.