Union wins more pay for school support workers

UNISON has welcomed the news that Oasis Community Learning has agreed to make a £250 flat rate payment to all its school support staff earning £21,000 a year or less.

The move, which follows negotiation with UNISON and other unions, is on top of the 1% pay increase for Oasis school support staff for 2013/14. 

UNISON and the other unions submitted a claim for the £250 to the Oasis national negotiating forum in early 2013.

This followed chancellor George Osborne’s promise that public service workers earning £21,000 a year or less would get a £250-a-year payment in both years of the government’s pay freeze (2011/12 and 2012/13).

But the government didn’t require academy schools and local government employers to make this payment and many did not.

Oasis paid the £250 in 2011/12 but did not make the payment in 2012/13. citing financial pressures.

The £250 will be pro rata for part-time and term-time workers – UNISON had proposed that all staff get the £250 in full regardless of contract type.

“UNISON is pleased that Oasis has now agreed to make the second £250 payment,” said national secretary Jon Richards today.

“We hope other academy schools and sponsors will follow the very welcome lead shown by Oasis. This shows the difference that unions can make to working peoples’ lives.

“The more school support staff that join UNISON, the stronger will be our negotiating position with employers.”

UNISON has also called on Oasis to implement the living wage of £7.45, or £8.55 in London, as the minimum rate of pay in its schools.

The union is also asking Oasis to make sure that contractors providing services such as catering for its schools also implement the living wage.

Oasis has agreed to respond in full to this claim in January. 

Oasis Community LKearning operates schools in the north west, Yorkshire and Humberside, the south east, the south west, the West Midlands and Greater L:ondon

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Key issue: Pay in education