Higher education workers take further action

Members of Unison working in higher education - caterers, cleaners, security guards and student support staff - will join teachers in a third one-day strike over pay on 6 February. Low paid staff in higher education who have seen their pay fall by 13% in real terms over the past five years but universities are refusing to increase their 1% pay offer. More than 4,000 higher education workers are currently paid below the living wage, which is £7.65 (€9.30) an hour or £8.80 (€10.70) an hour in London. [Read more at > Unison->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/higher-education-workers-to-walk-out-for

The SIPTU trade union has called for the pay rates of workers in early years education to keep pace with the Living Wage following the announcement that it is to increase by €0.95, taking it to €13.85 per hour. Childcare professionals secured an historic first pay deal this year, establishing a minimum rate of pay of €13 per hour. This was €0.10 cent over the Living Wage at the time. The union is now calling on the government and employers to deliver a pay increase to reflect the rise in the cost of living otherwise all the work done to address low pay, high staff turnover and the recruitment