Nursery World - Term-time deals force staff pay cuts

Nursery nurses are facing pay cuts of up to 20 per cent as full-year contracts are being replaced by term-time agreements, according to the public services union Unison's evidence to the Local Government Pay Commission. While the Government is planning to expand the role of school support staff, particularly teaching assistants, their union says the predominantly female workforce still faces discrimination and low pay.

While the Government is planning to expand the role of school support staff, particularly teaching assistants, their union says the predominantly female workforce still faces discrimination and low pay.

Unison's 2002 poll of support staff, conducted by NOP, found that two-thirds are on term-time contracts, and about half are on temporary or variable contracts. Term-time contracts mean that these employees lose out on leave entitlement, maternity and sick pay and pensions, the union's briefing document for the commission states.

The briefing document says, 'Nursery nurses struggled in the past to achieve pay and conditions commensurate with their skills and professionalism. Too often now, their full-year contracts are under attack.

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