Council pay dispute

School support staff in Renfrewshire have demanded parity with teachers following their pay award last week.

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Teachers at the local authority's 62 schools have been handed a four per cent award while school staff including teaching assistants, caterers, admin staff and caretakers have been offered just 3.2 per cent.

Research by GMB, which represents support staff across the county, shows teaching assistants earn an average annual salary of just £17,000.

Stacey Booth, GMB national officer, said: "School support staff are the forgotten army who look after our children, feed them and nurture them.

"They are shockingly badly paid and it's a scandal this pay award means they will fall even further behind teachers.