The Ark group of academy schools is the first national group to agree to pay £250 to staff earning less than £21,000. UNISON is now calling on other schools and academies to do the same, to help the lower paid deal with the rising cost of living.
When the coalition government imposed a pay freeze for public sector workers, the Chancellor announced that those earning less than £21,000 would receive £250, but, to date, some academies have refused to pay.
UNISONÕs Senior National Officer for Education, Jon Richards, said:
ÒInflation is eating into the purses of low paid workers who can ill afford to have their pay frozen. I am pleased that the Ark group has now agreed to pay up and urge all schools, including academies, to follow suit.
ÒIt is well-known that the lowest paid pay a higher percentage of their salaries on the basics of life Ð the cost of those basics is increasing at an alarming rateÓ.
Ends
Academies in the Ark group paying the £250 are:
Burlington Academy Ð Hammersmith and Fulham
King Solomon Academy – Westminster
Walworth Academy – Southwark
Globe Academy – Southwark
Evelyn Grace Academy – Lambeth
Ark Academy – Brent
St . AlbanÕs Academy – Birmingham
Charter Academy – Portsmouth