UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today welcomed the decision from academies sponsor United Learning Trust (ULT) to pay the £250 increase to its school support staff earning less than £22,000, calling it Òthe right thing to doÓ. The £250 was promised to low paid public sector workers in George Osborne’s June 2010 emergency budget, but has been widely ignored in local government and schools, leaving workers and their families struggling to cope.
ULT is the first major academy sponsor to pay the minimum increase this year, and UNISON is calling on others to follow suit. While George Osborne promised the payment to public sector workers earning less than £21,000, ULT has extended the payment to those earning less than £22,000. The offer is a £250 uplift to salaries, rather than a one-off payment.
Jon Richards, UNISON head of education, said:
ÒWe are really pleased that ULT has done the right thing and given low paid workers this modest increase. For many families struggling to pay rising bills on frozen wages, this additional £250 will be welcome.
ÒToday I am issuing a challenge to all academy schools for them do the right thing by following suit and giving low paid workers this modest pay rise.Ó