Nursery nurses picket council (From Barry And District News)

Nursery nurses picket council

VALE nursery nurses and teachers" aides were set to picket a council meeting last night over a dispute concerning new terms and conditions.

The protest outside the meeting of full council marks the beginning of a campaign by nursery nurses and teachers" aides over salary cuts.

Ralph Cook, a spokesman for the South Wales School Staff Support Group and whose wife is a Vale nursery nurse, said: "The new terms see savage cuts to nursery nurse salaries by up to £3,630 depending on length of service and hours worked.

"Alternatively, those nursery nurses with five years" experience who are able to accept an increase of 175.5 hours worked annually might see their salary increased by just £305.19 a year - they would therefore be working those extra hours for 1.7 pence per hour. The impact on teachers" aides is similar. They face an increase in hours worked annually by 97.5 and up to £1,327.08 cuts in salary.

"Adult helpers potentially benefit from the scheme. Their hours will increase from 30 hours a week to 32.5. Adult helpers are currently paid £8,785. If they are slotted into Level 2 their pay will increase to just over £10,000.

"Nursery nurses and teachers" aides are key workers in early years and special needs schools," added Mr Cook.

"As a result of the greater bargaining power and political influence wielded by teachers" unions, the pay gap between teachers and other classroom staff has widened significantly in recent years.

"Current pay levels are creating resentment in schools with nursery nurses, in particular, campaigning for improved recognition.

"The Vale Council has introduced a salary scheme that fails to address equal pay issues and fails to meet the requirements of the Workforce Remodelling agenda by actually cutting the salaries of the best qualified staff."

A Vale council spokesman said: "The Welsh Assembly Govern- ment is the signatory to a national agreement on raising standards and addressing teachers" workloads in schools.

"That agreement is designed to free teachers from bureaucratic and administrative tasks and will, from September, 2005, include ten percent non- contract time for all teachers.

"The implementation of this national agreement represents a significant challenge to all councils and schools. Advice has been issued to schools following consultations with teaching and non-teaching unions and the position has been explained to staff.

"The objective of the national agreement is not to downgrade or cut the salaries of support staff who undertake an essential role in our schools.

"There will be implications for staff, however, as tasks are reallocated to deliver the national agreement terms. Part of the change will result in the development of clear, consistent and fair grading frameworks to be considered by locally managed schools.

"The council advice on this framework will continue to be developed through consultation."