Local Government

Why pay bargaining for school support staff needs to change

A UNISON Cymru briefing for Senedd Members



Date posted: 11 July 2025

Briefing outline

School support staff play a vital role in children’s education and wellbeing but many are low paid and experiencing in-work poverty, and the need for second jobs.

The current system fails to reflect the specific needs of school staff in the Welsh region. Establishing a Wales-specific School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) would help reward this workforce more fairly.

Methodology

The briefing was based a consultation of all school staff members held in January and February 2025.

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