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Strike calls as support staff pay body is axed

Trade unions have condemned the move by education secretary Michael Gove to scrap the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, responsible for negotiating national pay and conditions for nursery nurses and teaching assistants.

Public sector union Unison said it would ballot its members on strike action 'as a matter of urgency' and demanded an equality impact assessment, because low-paid women would be among the worst hit.

In a written statement Mr Gove said, 'The Government has conducted a review of the future policy direction for determining school support staff pay and conditions, including the role of the SSSNB, and has concluded that the SSSNB does not fit well with the Government's priorities for greater deregulation of the pay and conditions arrangements for the school workforce.'

He said he would introduce legislation to abolish the SSSNB at the earliest opportunity.

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