The childcare practitioners employed by Denbighshire county council havebeen told they are paid an annual salary based on 37 hours a week forthe whole year but actually only work 32.5 hours per week during termtime.
The single status agreement, a government initiative dating back to1997, is aimed at ensuring equal pay for work of equal value for councilemployees.
Denbighshire county council claims that overall 73 per cent of theworkforce will benefit from the review and that there will be athree-year protection period of grace for those whose pay is to becut.
Marion Hunt, who works with disabled children at Ysgol Brondyffryn,Denbigh, said, 'I received a letter on Monday saying my salary will becut by 3,300. It's been a complete bolt from the blue and we'refeeling completely undervalued and confused. We've always been salariedemployees, not paid by the hour, but now they are looking at our jobdescriptions and saying we get paid for 37 hours when we only work 32and a half.'
Julia Twist, a colleague at Ysgol Brondyffryn, added, 'I'm at the end ofmy working life and I don't know how it will affect my pension. Then thecouncil try and tell you that it's fair. People don't realise what wehave to go through - we often have to restrain children and we getkicked, bitten and punched. We're not against single status - it's justwhere they've put us on the pay scales.'
Tricia Pritchard, senior professional officer of Voice, the union foreducation professionals, said, 'Unfortunately, the situation inDenbighshire is happening around the country. It's really frustrating; asignificant minority are facing pay cuts. We will lose nursery nurses tothe profession if they can get higher pay working in Tesco's.
'The government has published a Children's Plan but at this rate it mayfind it has no-one to deliver it. We would advise anyone who has theright to appeal to act quickly, as the time limit is three months,'added Ms Pritchard.
