Nursery World - Nursery staff lose pay protection

Nursery nurses in Sunderland have been told they are to lose pay protection brought in following the implementation of the Single Status Agreement as the city council tries to stave off further costly legal challenges.

The unions negotiated four-year pay protection last year to cushion the impact of the changes and allow staff to make up the financial shortfall by working extra hours.

But in a letter to its employees the council warned, 'If you do not agree to the job change by the end of February 2007 then protection will be removed by providing you with appropriate contractual notice. Once the notice has expired you will be paid on the evaluated rate for your job.'

A spokesman told Nursery World, 'The council explored all practical means of removing people from protection on a permanent basis and identified job changes for nearly all employees affected by pay protection.' Fewer than 100 were receiving pay protection now, compared with 2,960 last year.

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