About support staff pay
Without the tireless efforts of support staff, our education system simply could not function.
The NEU believes that support staff pay should reflect this. Support staff pay has lost around 26% of its real value since 2010. Any pay award must be fully funded by the central government. Schools and colleges cannot be left to absorb rising staff costs which are threatening jobs and driving unmanageable workloads.
Our clear and consistent priority is to work collectively with the NJC unions, Unison, GMB and Unite to fight for the fair pay that support staff deserve.
Read our termly bulletin on NEU support staff wins.
Most support staff are employed on the local government pay scales determined by the NJC (JNC in Northern Ireland) for local government services.
Most LA schools use the local government pay rates to pay their support staff in conjunction with National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions, but this can vary. An employee's contract should state their rate of pay, the point on the local government pay scale that refers to, and how the rate will increase on an incremental basis to a certain point.
Though academies can set their own pay and conditions, nearly all maintain the link to the Local Government pay arrangements, using the Local Government pay spine and the National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service – otherwise known as the Green Book.
The NEU bargaining toolkit provides resources to support a proactive approach to pay issues in the workplace. Support staff have the right to be treated fairly on pay and this means we need to secure transparency and fairness in pay, with appropriate recognition of experience and proper payment for responsibilities undertaken.