UK

Teaching assistants tackle MPs for equal pay help

Caroline Gall
BBC News, West Midlands
James Bovill
BBC Midlands Today

Claire Shuttleworth, a higher level teaching assistant in Birmingham, said staff felt "irrelevant and ignored"

Teaching assistants working for Birmingham City Council have met MPs to appeal for help in speeding up their claims for equal pay.

The local authority, which declared itself effectively bankrupt a year ago, faces a bill of up to £760m to settle the claims, on top of the £1.1bn already paid out.

In May about 1,500 teaching support staff from 35 schools went on strike over the issue with further action planned this month.

The council said work was under way on a new approach around job evaluation to settle equal pay issues once and for all.

The dispute relates to claims that staff in female-dominated roles have historically been underpaid when compared to men.

The GMB union wants backdated equal pay for mostly female workers and a change to job descriptions so pay is fair going forward too.

Two teaching assistants (TAs) and a GMB representative met local Labour MPs in Westminster on Monday in the hope of the matter being finalised as soon as possible.

Pamela Whatley, a TA at Yardley Wood Primary School, said going on strike was the only choice left

Pamela Whatley, a TA at Yardley Wood Primary School, said her claim was still on-going despite being "years down the line".

People feel undervalued and were "losing faith" as useful negotiations do not seem to happen and strike action was the way to get their voices heard.

"We've got no other choice, we're tried everything else..," she said.

Claire Shuttleworth, a higher level teaching assistant, said they wanted the MPs to support staff going through claims and the process was "exhausting".

"We keep coming back to the same place and finding ourselves in the same position - it's time it was resolved," she said.

"We feel irrelevant and ignored."

GMB regional organiser Alice Reynolds said it was not until strike action started in May that negotiations began with the council, but said the meetings were not really "meaningful".

The union put forward to the council a deadline of November for it to be able to put something to members, but Ms Reynolds said progress had still not been made.

In a statement, the Labour-run council said it had been engaging with the GMB on equal pay since November 2021, and following a further agreement made with the trade unions in October last year, work was now under way on a new approach to job evaluation to settle equal pay issues once and for all.

"The council is keen to work together with GMB to explore solutions, as it remains committed to resolving historic equal pay issues and settling all legitimate claims from our employees."