School support staff at 28 Merton schools are due to take strike action on Friday 9 October as part of an ongoing dispute over pay.
We are disappointed that this further strike action is planned and are urging the GMB to call off the action to minimise disruption to children and families while work continues to find a lasting resolution.
In the meantime, the council is working closely with affected schools to minimise disruption to children and families.
The council recognises that school support staff make an enormously important contribution to children’s education and wellbeing, and it understands the strength of feeling about the long-standing difference between inner and outer London pay.
The council supports the case for fair pay but cannot legally fund this increase at local level. Neither can it endorse a one-off payment which would create knock-on consequences for other council services and residents.
Pay for support staff is negotiated nationally. It is funded through Government grants. And so, a fair and permanent solution must be found at national level.
Since the previous industrial action in May, the council has continued to press for a permanent solution: we have taken the issue directly to Government and are working with other London boroughs facing the same issue. The council has also pledged to be a lead advocate in the new Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), which has been set up to address the issue.
Individual schools will contact parents and carers directly about arrangements.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Why are school support staff striking?
The dispute is about the difference in pay between school support staff working in inner and outer London. Merton Council recognises that this is a long-standing issue and understands the strength of feeling among support staff.
What is the GMB asking the council to do now?
The GMB now accepts that the council cannot use its General Fund to increase school support staff salaries. It has instead asked Merton Council to make a one-off payment to affected staff.
Why won’t the council make a one-off payment?
We have considered the proposal carefully. A one-off payment would have to come from council resources and would involve a significant amount of public money, without providing a lasting solution to the issue staff are campaigning about.
We also have to be confident that any significant financial commitment is fair, sustainable and does not create unintended consequences for other services, impacting residents.
A one-off payment would not change support staff salaries in future years or remove the underlying difference between inner and outer London pay.
So what is the council doing to resolve the issue?
We are putting our effort into securing a permanent solution. The council has taken the issue directly to Government and is working with the other London boroughs affected by the same pay disparity.
Following the previous industrial action, the Leader of the Council wrote to the Secretary of State for Education calling for faster progress and greater clarity about how the issue of London weighting will be addressed.
Merton will also make the case for aligning inner and outer London support staff pay through the new Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB).
What is the Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body?
The SSSNB is the new national negotiating body for school support staff. It will provide a national forum for considering support staff pay and conditions. Merton believes it provides the right route through which the long-standing disparity between inner and outer London support staff pay can be addressed.
Will my child’s school be open?
This will depend on the impact of industrial action at individual schools. Schools will contact parents and carers directly to confirm whether they will be fully open, partially open or closed.
What is the council doing to minimise disruption?
We are working directly with affected schools and providing operational, safeguarding, SEND and communications support. Our priority is to minimise the impact on children and families, particularly vulnerable pupils and those with additional needs.
Parents and carers should look out for information directly from their child’s school.