Early years workers in North Lanarkshire asked to re-train or take pay cut
Staff members are exclusively telling us they could lose hundreds of pounds every month.
Last updated 8th Mar 2023
Hundreds of early years workers at North Lanarkshire Council are claiming they're facing pay cuts of up to 30% unless they re-train or apply for a leadership role.
Last week bosses told staff members who are a grade NLC9 they would be moved down to NLC7 as part of the council's plan to plug a ÂŁ3 million funding gap.
We've been speaking exclusively to one person who works in a nursery who doesn't want to be named, but could have her income cut by hundreds of pounds each month.
She said: "Nobody can afford to lose that money and I could potentially have to sell my home.
"I feel absolutely devastated about it.
"I have worked for the council for 26 years and this is all I know and I do not think I could do anything else."
The NLC9 workers have reached the top of their pay scale and all of them have decades of service.
Clyde News has also seen letters sent to NLC9 staff in 2019 reassuring them that their Level 9 posts would remain secure throughout the early learning expansion.
"All of us are extremely dedicated to our jobs"
This worker added the changes are having a detrimental impact on her mental health.
"I've not been sleeping or eating and everyone has been crying because we do not know what to do.
"We have all stuck around through some hard times and given so much to education.
"All of us are extremely dedicated to our jobs and we have had to deal with changes like the 1140 scheme."
Fightback
Willie Thomson from Unite Scotland represents the workers and is planning to have a sit down discussion with the council leadership.
"We are not in agreement with these proposals.
"This will not only be detrimental to our members, but it will have a huge impact on children under the age of five across North Lanarkshire.
"To be faced with a ÂŁ6,000 salary cut is simply unbelievable."
No compulsory redundancies
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “As part of the council’s recent budget setting process, it was agreed to review the Early Learning & Childcare structure to align resources to the previously approved staffing model which was adopted in 2019 to support the delivery of 1140 hours.
“The NLC9 Early Learning Practitioner posts were not part of this agreed structure and staff have been aware of this through employee engagement sessions at the time and from relevant committee papers on the roll out of the 1140 hours early learning and childcare programme over the past four years.
“We will be bringing forward plans to support all staff directly within this specific group and explore other potential opportunities within the service for them.
"The council has a policy of no compulsory redundancies and people will not be left without a job.
"All staff are highly valued and we are working closely with them and the trade unions through this change process at engagement sessions scheduled this week.
"We are determined that any impact on individuals is kept to a minimum.”
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