School support staff walk out over equal pay
Support staff have walked out of 35 schools across Birmingham in an ongoing dispute over equal pay claims.
Up to 1,500 teaching assistants, catering staff and other workers went on strike on Tuesday, during the week pupils sit their Sats exams.
Members of the GMB union voted in favour of strike action in April and accused Birmingham City Council of delaying the settlement of equal pay claims made by low paid women workers.
The authority said it was keen to work with GMB and that it was committed to resolving the equal pay issues.
The dispute relates to claims staff in female-dominated roles have historically been underpaid when compared to men.
Speaking to BBC Midlands Today, GMB organiser Alice Reynolds said staff had been undervalued and enough was enough.
'Not valued properly'
The city council declared itself effectively bankrupt in September as a result of an equal pay claim of up to £760m, as well as an £80m overspend on an IT system.
But the £760m cited in the council’s budget was the maximum potential liability and could be lower, it said.
The council said it had begun to work on a new job evaluation process to settle the equal pay issues.
But Ms Reynolds criticised the authority for not letting them know when claims would be settled and said it had been “kicked into the long grass”.
“Job evaluation won’t pay back the money that women have had stolen from them for years,” she said.
“Women in schools and many areas across the council have not been valued properly.”
She said some schools would be forced to close by the strike action but most of those would by partial closures, adding: “These women value their jobs and their school communities more than anything.
“The fact that they’ve chosen to go on strike during Sats week is actually a phenomenal step for them to take.”
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said the authority had been engaging with GMB on matters of equal pay since November 2021.
“The council is keen to work together with GMB to explore solutions, as it remains committed to resolving historic equal pay issues and settling all legitimate claims from our employees.”
The Birmingham schools where GMB members have gone on strike are:
Arden Primary School
Beeches Junior School
Benson Community School
Boldmere Infants & Nursery School
Bordesley Green East Nursery School
Bordesley Green Primary School
Chad Vale Primary School
Cherry Orchard Primary School
Chilcote Primary School
Clifton Primary School
Colmore Infant & Nursery School
Colmore Junior School
Elms Farm Primary School
Forestdale Primary School
George Dixon Primary School
Gunter Primary School
Harborne Primary School
Hodge Hill Girls School
Jakeman Nursery School
James Watt Primary
Kings Heath Primary School
Lozells Junior & Infant School
Marsh Hill Nursery
Minworth J & I School
Nelson Mandela School
Newtown Nursery School
Redhill Primary School
St. Benedicts Infants
St. James C E Primary School Handsworth
Stanville Primary School
Wheelers Lane Primary
Worlds End Junior School
Yardley Primary School
Yardley Wood Community Primary School
Yorkmead Junior & Infants School
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