TEACHING assistants are to step up their campaign against pay cuts of up to £5,000 a year, after hundreds packed out a series of angry union meetings.

About 2,500 TAs face losing their school holiday pay, for some worth almost a quarter of their salary, under proposals being considered by Durham County Council.

Hundreds attended a series of meetings held by the trade union Unison in Durham, Newton Aycliffe, Seaham, Barnard Castle, Stanley and Crook last week (November 16-20), with regional organiser Helen Metcalf describing the mood among her members as devastated, very upset and very anxious.

Unison, other unions and individual TAs will now step up their campaign to block the changes ahead of the consultation deadline of next Monday (December 7). They plan to hold further meetings, lobby councillors and MPs and take their case to parents.

“People really don’t know how they’re going to cope,” Ms Metcalf said.

“A lot of TAs are single parents or have mortgage commitments and can’t afford a massive loss on their wages. There are couples where both are TAs so they face a double blow. There’s a lot of shock and anger.”

The council says no decisions have been take yet, but it is trying to ensure “equity and fairness” by bringing TAs’ conditions in line with other staff. Many other councils across the country have already cut TA pay to term-time only, although South Tyneside Council still pays 52 weeks a year.

Ms Metcalf said Durham “do have options”.

“They (TAs) are not in it for the money. They love the job they do. They’re passionate about it and they feel completely devalued by this.

“Imagine people getting this news at this time of year. For a lot of people it is life-changing.

“You don’t achieve equity and fairness by cutting people’s pay in swathes. They should be valuing people for what they do, not running them down.”

The council has offered those affected a one-off lump sum to help them cope with the changes and it is encouraging schools to offer TAs extra hours where needed.

If agreed, the changes would come into effect from next September.