London School Support Staff Strike Over £1,000 Pay Gap with Teachers

Key facts

• About 1,000 GMB union members in Merton and Greenwich struck on 1 May over London weighting disparity.
• Support staff receive Outer London Weighting; teachers in same schools get Inner London rate, a gap exceeding £1,000.
• Unison teaching assistants at Primrose Hill Primary School in Camden struck for four days from 29 April.
• TAs demand regrading worth 23p more per hour to reflect work with special educational needs children.
• Merton Council offered to lead a case to the new Schools Staff Negotiating Body but cannot use general fund without Secretary of State permission.
• Greenwich Council said the pay gap stems from 1990 abolition of Inner London Education Authority.
• Five other London boroughs have the same disparity but were not balloted for strike.
• Pupils at Primrose Hill started a petition that nearly 100 children signed supporting TAs.

Walkout Hits 30 London Schools as Support Staff Demand Equal Pay

More than 1,000 school support staff across 30 schools in the London boroughs of Merton and Greenwich walked out on Friday in a dispute over pay, shutting down classrooms and disrupting lessons for thousands of pupils. The strike, called by the GMB union, centres on a historic underpayment of London weighting that leaves support staff earning thousands less than teachers working in the same buildings. In Camden, a separate strike by Unison members at Primrose Hill Primary School entered its fourth and final day on Friday, with teaching assistants chanting “What do we want? Fair pay! When do we want it? Now!” on the picket line. The two disputes, though separate, underscore a growing revolt among the lowest-paid school workers who argue their roles have been systematically undervalued.

The £1,000 Divide: Outer London vs Inner London Weighting

At the heart of the GMB strike is a pay anomaly that has persisted for decades. Support staff in Merton and Greenwich are paid Outer London Weighting, while teachers in the same schools receive the Inner London rate. The GMB says the difference can exceed £1,000 per year for some staff, a sum that makes a material difference to workers already on modest salaries. Greenwich Council traced the disparity to the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority in 1990, when teachers retained Inner London pay but support staff did not. While teachers’ pay is nationally protected, councils have discretion over support staff weighting — a discretion that, the unions argue, has been exercised unfairly.

Councils and Union at Impasse Over Legal Barriers

Merton Council urged the GMB to cancel the strike, warning it would affect children, families and other school staff. Hannah Doody, chief executive of Merton Council, said the authority recognised the “legitimate concerns about pay” and noted that a national Schools Staff Negotiating Body (SSNB) was being set up to address the issue. However, she said the GMB wanted the council to use its general fund to increase pay — something the council is legally unable to do without permission from the Secretary of State for Education. “No council has the freedom to subsidise school budgets from its general fund, without permission from the Secretary of State. To do so would be in breach of nationally set financial regulations,” Merton Council stated. The council said it made offers in good faith during mediated talks on Monday, including a proposal to lead a joint case with six other affected London boroughs to the SSNB, but those talks did not end with an agreement to suspend strike action.

Primrose Hill TAs: 23p an Hour That Would Change Lives

At Primrose Hill Primary School in Camden, the demand is more modest but no less urgent: a regrading that would mean just 23p more per hour. Yet for teaching assistants working in The Grove, a specialised autistic resourced provision unit, that small increase would be transformative. “We have been trained to deliver personalised plans and tailored learning for children with autism,” one TA said. “Because we work in the Grove, it’s all one-to-one support so we have really close relationships with our kids.” Another TA said she works multiple jobs to afford rent. “I’m working here and then in the evening I have a second job. It’s exhausting,” she said. “We work in a professional field, we should be able to cover our costs with that job alone.” The TAs argue that agency workers cannot replace them because children with autism need continuity. “If management really cared about the education of children then they would not be making out that we are replaceable,” one said.

Pupils and Parents Rally Behind Striking Staff

The picket lines have drawn remarkable solidarity from the school community. One pupil arrived with a sign reading “Pay the TAs. They help us grow and play,” drawing applause. Another started a petition that nearly 100 children signed. On Thursday, all the Higher Level Teaching Assistants joined the picket line in solidarity, and on Friday all office staff did the same. “We’ve been rewarded each day with the support we’re getting from the parents and the kids,” one TA said. “It shows how much we’re valued and how much they are behind us.” The outpouring has kept the strikers steadfast, even as they face financial strain.

Wider Context: A National Dispute With Deep Roots

The pay disparity affecting support staff is not confined to Merton, Greenwich and Camden. Five other London boroughs have the same gap between Outer and Inner London weighting, though they were not balloted for strike action. The GMB and Unison are both pushing for a national solution through the newly established Schools Staff Negotiating Body, but progress has been slow. Greenwich Council said it remains in discussions with the union and understands that 11 schools across the borough may be affected. A spokesperson said: “We respect the right of unions to take industrial action. However, the best place for children is in the classroom, and we hope for constructive discussions to minimise disruption to pupils.” Merton Council has contacted parents directly about arrangements for the strike day.

What Comes Next: Talks Continue, But Strikers Remain Determined

With no agreement reached in mediated talks, the GMB strike in Merton and Greenwich went ahead as planned on Friday. The union’s senior organiser, Helen O’Connor, said members felt “undervalued” and should be “treated equally with teachers” who receive Inner London Weighting. The council has pledged to continue working with schools to minimise disruption, but the fundamental legal impasse remains. For the Primrose Hill TAs, the four-day strike has ended, but the fight is not over. They have shown that even the lowest-paid workers can mobilise powerful support from the community. As one TA put it: “We’re these children’s key workers—their safe people. Children with autism don’t do well with change.” The question now is whether the government and councils will find a way to close the pay gap that has left thousands of school support staff struggling to make ends meet.

The bottom line

• School support staff in London are striking over a pay gap of more than £1,000 between Outer and Inner London weighting, a disparity rooted in 1990 legislation.
• Merton and Greenwich councils say they cannot use general funds to raise pay without Secretary of State approval, leaving the dispute at a legal impasse.
• Teaching assistants at Primrose Hill Primary demand a 23p hourly regrading to reflect their specialised work with autistic children, highlighting the low pay for critical roles.
• Pupils and parents have shown strong solidarity, with children starting petitions and joining picket lines, underscoring community support for the strikers.
• The new Schools Staff Negotiating Body may offer a national solution, but progress is uncertain as five other boroughs face the same disparity without striking.
• The strikes reveal a systemic undervaluation of school support staff, who perform essential educational and pastoral work while often holding multiple jobs to afford rent.