School support staff accuse city council of delaying settlement of equal pay claims

Support staff from 35 schools across Birmingham are taking part in fresh equal pay school strikes, and have accused the council of an “ongoing failure” to resolve the city's equal pay crisis.

According to the BBC, up to 800 GMB union members, including cleaners, teaching assistants, and receptionists, gathered at Birmingham’s Victoria Square.

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said it has been engaging with GMB and UNISON for “many years” on equal pay.

It said: “A new approach to job evaluation to settle Birmingham’s equal pay issues once and for all was agreed with the trades unions in October 2023.”

Announcing the planned wave of strikes last month, Alice Reynolds, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “Instead of addressing the underpayment of women delivering essential services for the city, the council's actions have only deepened the crisis.

“Now we're seeing reports that cuts [to] vital services, which they blamed on the growing equal pay liability, could have been avoided – protecting jobs and services that our communities depend upon.”

The council added that it “remains committed to resolving historic equal pay issues and settling all legitimate claims from our employees.”

In September 2023 Birmingham issued a s114 notice after finding it could not meet its financial liabilities resulting from equal pay claims of around £760m. Commissioners led by Max Caller were subsequently sent into the local authority.

Lottie Winson