Row over all-year-round pay for school support staff

Martin Shipton

A Labour Senedd Member has been accused of “new levels of cheek” for demanding that the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government should introduce all-year-round pay for school support staff immediately.

Speaking in a Senedd plenary meeting, Huw Thomas, who until his election last month was leader of Cardiff council, said: “In three weeks time school support staff – our teaching assistants, caretakers, catering staff and more – essentially stop being paid until the autumn.

“That’s thousands of working people who we all rely on day in day out who aren’t paid all year round. It’s the sort of injustice that an effective government should surely seek to solve.”

Mr Thomas asked the government to introduce year-round pay as a priority.

He came in for some criticism on social media. Plaid Cymru MS Marc Jones posted a message that said: “Labour demanding a @plaid_cymru govt does in 7 weeks what Labour failed to sort in 27 years is new levels of cheek.”

Another poster wrote: “For years Huw Thomas was the leader of a council that employed more school support staff than anywhere else in Wales. He could have made sure every single one was paid for the whole year. He didn’t, but now claims to care when he’s in opposition.”

However, Unison Cymru regional secretary Jess Turner said: “Teaching assistants, midday supervisors, technicians and cleaners keep schools running. Yet too many are trapped in poverty pay and on precarious contracts with limited access to training.

“The scandal of term time-only pay affects tens of thousands of mainly women workers across Wales.

“Warm words won’t pay the bills or keep experienced staff in schools. Ministers must bring forward legislation in the first year of this Senedd to ensure all staff are paid for the full year.

“The new body must prioritise ending term-time pay, boosting job security and guaranteeing access to training and development for school support staff.”

School support staff keep our schools running, yet most are only paid during term-time.

That is simply not fair.

I called on Plaid Cymru to make year-round pay for school support staff a priority.

It’s time these essential workers got the security and recognition they deserve. pic.twitter.com/vDJdc9ctF6

— Huw Thomas MS (@HuwThomasMS) June 25, 2026

Responding to the criticism, Mr Thomas said: “I’m proud of the work I did as leader of Cardiff council to raise incomes across the capital – we were the first to pay the real living wage, and remain one of just a few accredited real living wage councils in Wales. But this issue is one that needs a national approach. Welsh Labour had a manifesto commitment to establish a School Support Staff Negotiating Body(SSSNB) to look at the issue of year round pay as a priority.

“As Cabinet Secretary, Lynne Neagle committed to legislating for a SSSNB to provide a dedicated forum to negotiate pay, conditions, career progression, training and workforce development specifically for support staff working in schools in Wales.

“And under the last Welsh Labour government, through the School Social Partnership Forum, working with trade union partners and local authorities an additional £4m was allocated to local authorities to move all level 1 teaching assistants to level 2, meaning a pay rise of up to £1,350.

“In our first opposition debate Welsh Labour gained support from parties across the chamber calling for legislation to be brought forward from the new Plaid government as a priority.”