Assistant cuts strikes North East
Posted 07/04/2017
Many of you would be aware from social media or just simply talking to people on the street, about the teaching assistant strikes that happened last year and are continuing this year.
The reasons behind these are a very controversial topic. I have managed to get information from both sides to help the outside people understand this strike just a bit more.
Cllor Ian Geldard is known in Spennymoor for his very public decision to vote for the change in the terms for teaching assistants. Ian said: ‘My reasons for voting for the change was that councils chief executive, monitoring (legal) officer and chief finance officer all gave unequivocal advice to the council that the risk of not making the changes to the terms and conditions of teaching assistants will highly likely result in challenging with regard to the council acting unlawfully and without financial probity.’
The cut isn’t just happening the area of County Durham but the whole of the country. However last year saw a strike at Durham county council where TA’s stood outside demanding change. The strike came after the TA’s realised their union was ineffective.
The plan will be affecting 2,000 school support staff, Unison General Secretary Dave Prentis said ‘Durham County Councils proposals to slash teaching assistants pay are divisive, bad for morale and unfair.’
Catherine Fothergill Gilbert is a Teacher Assistant at the Oaks in Spennymoor and has dedicated her time to go and strike against the cut. ‘We are working in a profession capacity for already low wages, we are highly skilled individuals and many schools could not cope without our knowledge of individual pupils educational and behavioural needs. Without us negative behaviour will escalate resulting in other pupil’s education suffering as a result.’
Cllr Ian Geldard mentioned ‘I don’t think there is any other option than to resolve the equal pay issue, and that means the teaching assistants terms and conditions had to be made equal and fair with the rest of the council staff.’
‘Politicians come into politics to do good things and to stay popular so that they have a chance of retaining their office; this is obviously an unpopular decision to have to make so the common-sense question has to be why would councillors take such as decision unless they absolutely have to.’
Catherine is a Teacher assistant in the oaks and deals with helping and implementing behaviour and educational plans as well as developing and finding resources. She believes that some staff could be made homeless and some live on their own currently and are already struggling to pay rent.
There is no clear ending to this fight between the Teacher assistants and the council, however both sides are very strong about their own arguments and they are both willing to fight till each side get the answers they want. One thing is for certain and that is that they are both dedicated to their profession.
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