Even More Snakes and Ladders
Schools have a hierarchy when it comes to pay – just like any other workplace.
The Head Teacher is at the top – and the bottom rung of the pay ladder is always occupied by the school cleaner – normally a woman on part-time hours.
In between a variety of jobs exist – some better paid than others - but there is always some kind of rationale to explain who gets what and why.
So, a support worker is always paid less than a teacher – for example.
But what about the pay hierarchy amongst support workers – the non-teaching staff – how does that work?
Very oddly – like a lot of things in South Lanarkshire.
For example - a School Janitor which used to be (before Single Status) a predominantly male, Manual Worker Grade 5 job – gets paid up to SCP 33 = £9.37 an hour (at 2007/08 rates).
Yet a Classroom Assistant or School Secretary is paid between SCP 1 – 25 = £5.81 to £8.31 an hour (again at 2007/08 rates).
Even a Team Leader gets paid less than the School Janitor – because their pay scale only goes up to a maximum of £8.69 per hour.
And, as usual, many of the women’s jobs are not paid at the top of their scale.
Now no one is saying that a School Janitor does not do an important job – but how on earth can he be on a significantly higher grade and rate of pay than a Classroom Assistant or a School Secretary?
It simply beggars belief – and the female workers in South Lanarkshire should be kicking up a fuss – with their line managers, councillors and trade unions.
Because something’s not right here – no one understands the basis on which other jobs within the council are paid – many of the traditional male jobs within the council have done very nicely ‘thank you’ out of the council’s in-house job evaluation scheme.
Whereas many female dominated jobs have lost out – for reasons no one can explain – and that’s what Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross are challenging.
More to follow – watch this space.
The Head Teacher is at the top – and the bottom rung of the pay ladder is always occupied by the school cleaner – normally a woman on part-time hours.
In between a variety of jobs exist – some better paid than others - but there is always some kind of rationale to explain who gets what and why.
So, a support worker is always paid less than a teacher – for example.
But what about the pay hierarchy amongst support workers – the non-teaching staff – how does that work?
Very oddly – like a lot of things in South Lanarkshire.
For example - a School Janitor which used to be (before Single Status) a predominantly male, Manual Worker Grade 5 job – gets paid up to SCP 33 = £9.37 an hour (at 2007/08 rates).
Yet a Classroom Assistant or School Secretary is paid between SCP 1 – 25 = £5.81 to £8.31 an hour (again at 2007/08 rates).
Even a Team Leader gets paid less than the School Janitor – because their pay scale only goes up to a maximum of £8.69 per hour.
And, as usual, many of the women’s jobs are not paid at the top of their scale.
Now no one is saying that a School Janitor does not do an important job – but how on earth can he be on a significantly higher grade and rate of pay than a Classroom Assistant or a School Secretary?
It simply beggars belief – and the female workers in South Lanarkshire should be kicking up a fuss – with their line managers, councillors and trade unions.
Because something’s not right here – no one understands the basis on which other jobs within the council are paid – many of the traditional male jobs within the council have done very nicely ‘thank you’ out of the council’s in-house job evaluation scheme.
Whereas many female dominated jobs have lost out – for reasons no one can explain – and that’s what Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross are challenging.
More to follow – watch this space.
