Keep schools safe

Unions representing school support staff say the government must do more to keep schools open and safe. In a joint letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson, the UNISON, GMB and Unite unions outline proposals to reduce the risk of infection for children and staff and reduce the likelihood of entire schools closing.

The letter stresses that all school employees should have priority access to testing — not just teachers — and full pay must be given to lower-paid workers who need to isolate. It also calls for more information to be shared with staff about suspected COVID-19 cases at their schools.

The unions also say the government must introduce additional measures to halt rising infections.

UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “The government’s lack of clarity means it’s not clear if teaching assistants are covered by the new testing rules. But without testing for caretakers and cleaners some schools won’t open, and pupils and staff won’t be safe.”

Unite national officer Ian Woodland added: “As we enter the second wave of COVID-19, it is vital that everything is done to keep schools open ... The key to this is a comprehensive ‘test and trace’ system for staff and schoolchildren — something, in the eight months of the pandemic, the government has conspicuously failed to provide.”

GMB national officer Karen Leonard said the union was demanding full contractual sick pay for all school workers.

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2020/09/government-must-keep-schools-open-safe-education-unions-say