- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 12 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that the government’s Employment Rights Bill included legislation to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) for England, which the Coalition Government had abolished.
Conference welcomes the reintroduction of the SSSNB, which will give members working in schools a full voice in negotiations on national pay, conditions and career development. Conference in particular welcomes the fact that the SSSNB will cover all school support staff in all state-funded schools, including academies.
Conference notes that while the SSSNB will be statutory in England, there may also be the opportunity for devolved nations/administrations to be involved in some capacity. Conference believes that decisions on such potential involvement must be based on having full information about what it entails, and should be made by the respective devolved nations/administrations. If members in Wales and Northern Ireland are not to be covered by the SSSNB, membership of the NJC should remain in place.
Conference believes that the SSSNB should be based on the principles of better pay and improved career structures and opportunities for all school support staff.
The new negotiating body must be backed by proper funding, otherwise it risks failure.
The new arrangements should also consider model contracts, roll-out without detriment for all staff, a job evaluation and pay and grading structure, and 52 week contracts and pay for all staff. The new arrangements must include a commitment to binding annual pay rises.
Conference notes that the full implementation of the SSSNB could take several years. Conference acknowledges that this is a major job, but believes that it should be set up as soon as possible, to ensure any benefits for members can be realised.
Conference reaffirms that any final proposal should be put to UNISON members, in line with the decision reached at the 2024 Local Government Conference.
Conference notes that since the agreement of the Service Group structures report at the 2010 Local Government Conference, the Shadow Schools Sector Committee has not had full sector committee rights. With the coming implementation of the SSSNB, it is essential that the committee is fully established as a sector committee within the Local Government Service Group. UNISON’s lay representatives on the SSSNB should be drawn from the Schools Sector Committee and must be members whose own pay and conditions will be covered by the SSSNB. The committee should have motion submission rights at future Local Government Conferences.
Conference further notes that the reinstatement of the SSSNB could have major implications for UNISON’s structures, including at sector committee, regional and branch levels, and these must be fully explored.
It is also essential that UNISON has a major strategic organising plan in place to ensure we are well-placed to grow our membership and activism through the SSSNB. Conference welcomes the work already carried out in this regard.
Conference therefore calls on the Service Group Executive to:
1) Establish the Shadow Schools Sector Committee as a full sector committee within the Service Group;
2) Work with the Schools Sector Committee, NJC Committee, Regions, devolved nations/administrations and Branches to conduct a full review of the structural implications of the SSSNB, and make appropriate recommendations to the 2026 Local Government Conference;
3) Work with the Schools Sector Committee to ensure UNISON remains the lead trade union in all discussions and negotiations relating to the SSSNB;
4) Ensure that all necessary information on potential involvement by devolved nations/administrations in the SSSNB is available, and work with the NJC Committee and devolved nations/administrations to ensure members’ views are represented;
5) Work with the NEC, Strategic Organising Unit and Regions to continue to put in place an organising plan relating to the SSSNB.
