Is over a 15% cut in wages….reasonable to staff working in Children Centres?

No this is not about the effect of the pay freeze. Some of our colleagues in Children’s Centres are not only subjected to the pay freeze but being consulted about a real cut in their wages to take effect this year as they are expected to move from standard contracts to Term Time Only Contracts. The Council is proposing to remove the subsidy for child care in Children’s Centres and redistribute this across the Children’s Centres. This is something the Government is keen on but each Council can take a view about whether they actually move in this direction.

Our Council has chosen to go down this path with devastating consequences for some of our members. The redistribution of money bizarrely may not result in extra work for those colleagues taking a financial hit. Currently Newstead, Wingfield and The Hyde Children’s Centres are those being hit but in the next couple of years more colleagues could be asked to work and be paid Term Time Only.

UNISON’s position is that we are opposed to the removal of the subsidy of child care in the Children’s Centres and opposed to the cuts to our members’ terms and conditions.