From quiet dormouse to roaring lion, teaching assistant Jan Clymo talks to Rachel Conner about how she became a leading campaigner against the decision to alter their contracts

QUIET, non-political, non-confrontational – the words Jan Clymo would have used to describe herself before Durham County Council decided to change the contract she was employed on.

Fast forward 18 months and the mum-of-two has been on the picket line outside her school in Easington Colliery twice this month and is preparing to speak at a conference in London about the teaching assistants’ long running dispute.

Formerly a back-seat Unison member, she has been at the forefront of the campaign against the changes, which are due to be enforced in January.

“I’m typically a quiet dormouse,” said Miss Clymo, who has worked as a teaching assistant for 27 years. “It was my daughter who said are you going to accept it.

“I’ve always tried to be a good role model for my children and I thought I can’t accept it if I’m going to look my kids in the eye because you’ve got to fight for what you believe in.

“Part of me has found it incredibly stressful because I’m working full time and have commitments outside school. I was diagnosed with the initial stages of womb cancer and I thought if I can fight that I can do this.

“Some people expected me to crumble because I’m quiet and I don’t like confrontation. I’m not political but I just wanted our voices to be heard.”

Following the vote in May by Durham councillors to move teaching assistants to term-time only contracts, she joined the County Durham Teaching Assistants Activists Committee.

Having branded themselves as the lions of Durham, they have led the way during two 48 hour strikes, organising hundreds to attend mass rallies outside the council’s headquarters at County Hall and addressed crowds at Durham Miners’ Association.

The council says it has to make the changes, labelling the current contracts as “unfair” and presenting a risk of equal pay claims from it’s other employees on similar grades.

While they are employed to work 37 hours a week, the council says many only work 32 hours.

The authority is working with schools to try to offer teaching assistants more hours, which if they are able to do them will result in a pay cut of just over 10 per cent. If they cannot do the hours, or are not offered them – the pay cut could be up to 23 per cent.

Miss Clymo said: “I worked out I’m losing £185 a month if I work the extra hours and £387 if I can’t so that’s my mortgage and then some. Really the bottom line is the reason we keep on fighting.

“I don’t think people understand it’s not teaching assistants doing this because we have a choice, it’s because we don’t have a choice.”

She is now considering taking part in more social action campaigns, having attended junior doctor rallies and is due to speak at Grunwick 40, being held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the strike at the Grunwick Film Processing Laboratory in Willesden

She added: “I’m not afraid to be heard any more - my opinion does count and it does matter. I will stand up and fight for what’s right. Durham County Council may legally be in the right but it’s morally wrong.

“I don’t think they expected a group of predominantly women to fight back and be vocal. I’ve worked for Durham County Council for 27 years and I didn’t think I would ever be fighting for my job.”

She added: “It’s opened my eyes up to a lot of campaigns and struggles going on. Workers need to come together so that their voices are heard. I can’t see me going back to just sitting on the sofa and taking the dogs for a walk and not having a say on things.”

Speaking at a rally in Durham earlier this month, Unison northern branch secretary Clare Williams described the strike as one of the strongest she had ever seen.

But teaching assistants say they are feeling the pressure. “At the moment morale is quite low,” said Miss Clymo. “We’ve got experienced, professional staff leaving or looking to leave because of the uncertainty. There’s very little job security at the moment. People are very tired of everything now because it’s been 14 months.

“I know three others at my school have gone on to other jobs. There is an awful lot of staff going off sick at the moment because of stress. I don’t think Durham County Council realise we’re not numbers – we’re real individuals with real lives.”