Durham council propose new pay for teaching assistants

More than 75 per cent of teaching assistants (TAs) in Durham may be given a pay rise in order to settle a long-running dispute.

The proposed settlement has been arranged by a joint council and union board following a sequence of strikes in 2016.

It could also mean that one in five teaching assistants face a pay cut after two years.

Councillors are due to approve the plan soon, which involves new pay grades following a review of responsibilities.

John Hewitt, the council’s corporate director of resources, said: “The outcome of this work is that the vast majority of teaching assistants will see an improvement in their financial position. No-one has had their pay reduced at this stage and the proposals will ensure that no teaching assistant will see any reduction during the two-year compensation period if they work the hours offered. We also recognise that there will still be some TAs who may see a reduction once that two year compensatory period is over, and we will therefore continue to work with the unions with a real focus on this group. Together we will look at a wide range of workforce development options to see if we can provide some further opportunities for career progression.”