A NORTH-EAST council is pushing ahead with an unpopular move to terminate teaching assistants' contracts and introduce new terms and conditions.

Durham County Council chiefs have recommended a proposal to pay all of its 2,700 teaching assistants (TAs) during term-time only should be agreed on by council when it meets.

Despite discussions between the council and Trade Unions, no agreement has been reached and Unison have warned of potential strike action.

The union says plans would result in a pay cut of up to 25 per cent for some TAs while the council says they would ensure fairness and parity across its workforce.

Reacting to the report set to go before full council and published today (May 6), regional organiser for Unison, Helen Metcalf, said if the plan was voted through it would be "bitterly disappointing".

"It's imposing a forcible change in contract that 95 per cent of our members have rejected," she added. "It leaves us in a position where we will lodge a formal dispute with the council and will have a ballot for a strike."

Currently the council says TAs are paid for working 37 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, but in fact work 32.5 hours a week during school term time only.

The authority says independent legal advice confirms existing arrangements leave it at risk of equal pay challenges that would result in significant costs to the council.

However, one teaching assistant, who wished to remain anonymous, said the proposal was unfair.

"People think we're getting paid for holidays but we get a salary like everyone else," added the single mother. "The nature of our job means the school is shut as children only get educated for 39 weeks of the year.

"Technically we're unemployed for eight weeks of they year but can't get employment support allowance."

She added she would have to look for another job as, with almost £1,900 less a year, she would be unable to afford her mortgage.

Liberal Democrat County Councillor Owen Temple has blasted the recommendation.

"I'm appalled that a Labour authority should terminate contracts of 2,700 people who are nearly all women," added the former teacher. "It will be extremely disruptive to morale in schools.

"My experience is legal opinion is not very secure and law courts are a bit of a lottery. Sometimes it's not just about law it's about right and wrong."

Cllr Jane Brown, Cabinet member for corporate services, said: “They (the proposals) are about ensuring that teaching assistants, like all other council employees, are paid only for the hours they actually work.

“The current contract arrangements for teaching assistants represent a significant equal pay claim risk to the council and we have an obligation to address this in order to protect public finances."

A decision will be made at County Hall at 10am on Monday, May 16.