ANOTHER union has announced strike days in a dispute over changes to the contracts of County Durham's teaching assistants.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has said its 122 members will join Unison members in striking on Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9.
They are protesting in response to Durham County Council's decision to change teaching assistants' contracts so they will be paid term-time only.
The council says the move will reduce the risk of equal pay claims from other employees and the change will fairly reflect the working hours of teaching assistants.
But teaching assistants say it will mean a 23 per cent pay cut or a 10 per cent pay cut if they agree to work longer hours.
Emma Parker, ATL’s district secretary in Durham, said: “If the council doesn’t rethink its deeply flawed plans it will lose thousands of dedicated, hard-working teaching assistants, with some leaving to work in higher-paying neighbouring areas, and children in Durham will lose out.”
The council is working with teachers and school governors to minimise the impact on pupils.
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