Branch victory for part-timers

Part-time school support staff at the former Rydon Community College have received back-pay following a restructure that involved them having to accept lower grades.

Their new employer – Steyning Grammar School – increased their working hours, but did not offer pay protection due to the downgrade.

UNISON argued that despite increased hours, they should still receive pay protection for three years, as per the school’s policy. The school confirmed this to staff in January 2017, but failed to actually pay them. Then in August 2017 staff were told pay protection would not apply!

Our branch officer explained to HR that the school’s approach was potentially discriminatory to part-time staff (mostly women) because full-time staff would have been compensated through pay protection. WSCC agreed with UNISON that the policy had been misinterpreted.

This does have wider implications for all part-time staff at WSCC or in schools, the majority of whom are women.

If you’re a part-timer subject to a downgrade but with extended hours at the lower grade, you are still eligible for pay protection on your previous grade for three years.