COUNCIL chiefs last night said they are to meet with union leaders for talks to seek a resolution to the increasingly bitter teaching assistants pay dispute.

Unison regional secretary Clare Williams confirmed officials are due to meet with Durham County Council ahead of a fifth day of strike action, planned for Thursday, December 1.

The move comes after increasing pressure on council leaders from their own Labour Party members.

Over the weekend four Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) voted in support of teaching assistants.

On Saturday, the City of Durham CLP voted unanimously on two motions supporting them and calling for Durham County Council to pause the threat of dismissal.

The Northern Echo understands that motions supporting teaching assistants were passed by Darlington CLP on Saturday and North West Durham CLP on Friday. Blaydon CLP is also understood to have passed a motion in support of teaching assistants.

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said: “Talks are already underway with Unison and we are meeting again this week in an effort to find a resolution to this issue.”

Ms Williams said: “Unison has consistently said we need to get back around the negotiating table so hopefully we will be able to start some dialogue this week. We’ve had four days of strike action which has been well supported and has had lots of support from parents and the public.

She added: “It’s very positive we have got Labour groups urging the council to re-enter negotiations with Unison to find a way through this.”

Members of Unison and ATL - The Education Union, which has not been involved in negotiations, have taken part in two 48-hour strikes this month. They are due to walk out again on Thursday and for a further three days next week, from Tuesday, December 6 to Thursday, December 8.

They are striking over plans to change their contracts so they are paid during term-time only, which assistants say will result in a pay cut of up to 23 per cent, or around 11 per cent if they are offered and agree to work extra hours.

The council says it has to introduce the changes because the old contracts are unfair and create inequalities among other employees, which could leave the cash-strapped authority open to equal pay claims.

A deal to delay the introduction of the contracts until April, and extend the compensation period to two years so pay cuts would not happen until April 2019, was accepted by members of GMB and Unite in September.

Members of Unison and ATL, who rejected the offer, are due to be sacked on December 31 and re-hired on new terms from January 1.

The City of Durham CLP voted on motions put forward by the Sherburn and District and Witton Gilbert branches calling for a solution which will not leave teaching assistants financially worse off.

Proposer Chris Turner, from the Sherburn and District branch, said: “All three CLPs passed motions unanimously. The fact that no-one voted against gives a clear indication that the membership of the party does not support the Durham County Council position and therefore we urge the county council and trade union to re-enter negotiations to reach another solution.

“We are trying to find a solution for teaching assistants and the council in a dispute we don’t believe is necessary. We don’t want to cause wars and factions with the Labour party. It’s about trying to find a solution.”

Ben Sellers, a local Labour Party member and Durham Trades Union Council secretary, added: “There's a real feeling that the councillors have got it wrong, and quite frankly, not to support the teaching assistants is a betrayal of our proud traditions."