Following the announcement of a Thank You Day – an additional day of leave for Council staff to take this year in recognition of their efforts throughout the pandemic – Labour Councillors are calling for all school and nursery staff on the Council payroll to benefit from this.

Labour’s spokesperson for children and young people, Councillor John Allcock, has written to the Chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee ahead of the meeting on Monday, 8 March, urging the Council to advise all Council maintained schools to grant the Thank You Day of additional leave to school staff.

Since the Thank You Day for Council staff was announced, trade unions have been inundated with queries from staff in schools who were upset and disappointed not to be treated the same as the rest of the Council’s workforce and questioned why the Thank You Day was not being offered to them.

Labour are pushing the Council to issue a public statement thanking school and nursery staff for their incredible work during the pandemic, and to provide firm and clear advice to Headteachers and Governors to offer all their staff a Thank You Day of additional leave this year.

Labour’s spokesperson for children and young people, Councillor John Allcock says:

“School and nursery staff have been working tirelessly on the frontline whilst being subjected to Government U-turns and broken promises on everything from PPE supplies and track and trace, to reopening dates, exam results and school meal vouchers.

“Despite this, schools and nurseries have continued to remain open, working face to face with vulnerable children and the children of critical workers throughout the pandemic.

“School staff have also supported families with home learning and delivered imaginative remote work programmes.

“Our school and Early Years staff clearly deserve a Thank You Day of additional leave this year for their remarkable efforts, so I am calling on the Council to work with Governors and Headteachers to make this happen.”

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