Nursery World - At a loss

Local authorities aren't the only ones to find themselves left worse off by the equalisation of the pay and conditions of council employees, says Simon Vevers Sunderland nursery nurse Gina Smith is losing 240 a month under the single status agreement aimed at equalising the pay and conditions of local authority employees - a substantial chunk out of an insubstantial salary.

Sunderland nursery nurse Gina Smith is losing 240 a month under the single status agreement aimed at equalising the pay and conditions of local authority employees - a substantial chunk out of an insubstantial salary.

While some categories of local authority employee, including school support staff such as Ms Smith, are enjoying mixed fortunes under the single status agreement, other groups - cook supervisors, for example - are winning out.

In some areas, school support staff have faced swingeing cuts and been put on 37-hour per week term-time only contracts, while in others, they have been upgraded to pupil mentors and other better-paid roles. As for cook supervisors, Unison national officer Christine Lewis says she would be 'incredibly surprised' if they had not all gained from the job evaluation and regrading process 'because they have been traditionally undervalued'.

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