NLC Plan Over 190 Classroom Assistant Cuts

GMB Calls For ‘No Compulsory Redundancy’ Commitment As NLC Plan Over 190 Classroom Assistant Cuts

GMB Scotland has today (Tuesday 23 May) called on North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) to reaffirm its commitment to no compulsory redundancies, after plans were announced to cut over 190 classroom assistant jobs from local schools.

The cuts plan will mean the local authority’s twenty-three high schools will no longer have a classroom assistant service and the majority of primary schools will be left with only one full-time classroom assistant.

Council chiefs say staff will have the opportunity to train for 91 new additional support needs assistant (ASNA) posts in early years learning and seek redeployment to other as yet unspecified ASNA roles, but gave no commitments over a voluntary redundancy programme.

The full implementation of the cuts is scheduled for the new term time in August 2017.

GMB Scotland Organiser Barry Fletcher said: “GMB will meet with education service heads over the coming days and weeks but the absolute minimum we expect for our members is that the council reaffirms its commitment to no compulsory redundancies.

Parents will be worried about the impact of these cuts on the delivery and standards of local education and this also follows on the heels of April’s clash between the council and the Scottish government over the allocation of the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF).

The deep problems in our education system both locally and nationally have been well documented but this significant cut to vital classroom assistant services in NLC should set alarm bells ringing among the public that the worst is yet to come.

Real livelihoods are being treated like pawns in a game between the Scottish government and the council. It’s not good enough and with more austerity in the years ahead it’s time we had some honesty from our politicians about the future of our public services.”

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Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Barry Fletcher on 07921 885775 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, on 07976 447077.