Press Release

GMB welcome new negotiating body for 300,000 school support staff in England

A new body, the Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), come into being on 1st October 2008 to set pay and conditions for school support staff in England’s maintained schools. It was announced this morning at the Labour Party conference that a new independent Chair Philip Ashmore has been appointed to head up the Body which will be responsible for setting up and implementing a framework for negotiations on pay and conditions of service for school support staff in maintained schools in England. GMB which represents 100,000 school support staff has a seat on the Body. 300,000 workers will be covered by the Body. These include classroom assistants, caretakers, clerical and admin staff, catering and playground supervisory staff. Their pay scales up to now were determined by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Authorities but it was up to individual schools as to how these pay and conditions were applied to specific groups of workers. Pay and conditions negotiations for these staff in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. GMB is seeking a similar arrangement in Wales. Contact: Brian Strutton GMB National Secretary on 020 8947 3131.