Durham teaching assistants accept new pay offer

Teaching assistants in Durham represented by UNISON, have today (Monday) overwhelmingly voted to accept the final offer made by the County Council to end the long-running dispute. The improved offer, put forward last month, is the result of lengthy negotiations with the Council, which involved teaching assistants themselves. It is significantly different from the initial […]

New offer aims to end long-running Durham dispute

Durham County Council has today (Wednesday) approved a revised offer that UNISON will now put to teaching assistants across the county. The proposals are the result of lengthy negotiations – involving UNISON, teaching assistants, head teachers and council officers – aimed at bringing to an end the long-running dispute. The offer sees the introduction of […]

Durham teaching assistants strike suspended to allow time for talks, says UNISON

Three days strike action this week (6 – 8 December) by Durham teaching assistants have been called off to allow time for further talks aimed at settling the dispute, says UNISON. The union is keen for urgent progress to end the long-running dispute with the county council over the proposed move to term-time contracts. But […]

UNISON suspends today’s teaching assistants’ strike action

Strike action involving teaching assistants that was due to affect schools across County Durham today (Thursday) has been called off so talks aimed at solving the dispute can take place, says UNISON. The school support staff employed by Durham County Council had been about to take their fifth day of action today, and a further […]

Schools to close as Durham teaching assistants take second two-day strike action

More than 100 primary schools across County Durham will be affected tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday as teaching assistants strike for a second time in a long-running dispute over cuts to their pay. School support staff plan to protest at dozens of picket lines across the county over the two days. This will mean the closure […]

Durham teaching assistants announce new strike dates, reveals UNISON

                                Northern   Press Release   Monday 16 November 2016 For immediate release More than a thousand Durham teaching assistants will take a further two days of strike action next week (Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 November) over cuts to their pay. This follows strike action held in the second week of November. Teaching assistants […]

We’re so proud of our Durham teaching assistants

They came out in force to show Durham County Council that this isn’t going away, we are so proud of our teaching assistant members in Durham for their strength and resilience during this difficult dispute.

National hardship fund for Durham dispute

UNISON has today (Monday) authorised a national hardship fund to ensure that no teaching assistants on strike in Durham suffer financial hardship. The fund, made up of an initial £150,000 will be administered by the union’s northern region. UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Today I have personally authorised £150,000 from the union’s industrial action fund […]

Schools closed as Durham teaching assistants take two-day strike action

                                Northern   Press Release   Monday 19 November 2016 For immediate release Schools closed as Durham teaching assistants take two-day strike action Nearly 100 primary schools across County Durham will be affected tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday as teaching assistants strike in a long-running dispute over cuts to their pay. School support staff plan to […]

Why UNISON Teaching Assistants are taking strike action leaflet

We have produced a handout of why Durham Teaching Assistants are going on strike, you can download it here. The text is copied below. Durham County Council wants to move teaching assistants onto term time only contracts – they asked teaching assistants to agree to a pay cut of up to 23%. When teaching assistants refused […]