School support staff walk out

Unison wants London Weighting raised to £4,000

Classroom assistants and meal supervisors in schools across London have gone on strike over the London Weighting allowance.

Industrial action by Unison members in 12 boroughs is the first in a series of selective strikes taking place over the next two weeks.

It is part of a long-running row over living allowances, which Unison believes should be raised to £4,000-a-year for each person.

Currently inner London council workers get an allowance of £2,800 while those in outer London get £1,500.

Unison predicted Monday's strikes would bring widespread disruption with thousands of pupils being sent home early.

Some boroughs reported schools were closing at lunchtime although in other areas such as Greenwich, all schools remained open.

Boroughs affected Barking and Dagenham Barnet Ealing Greenwich Hackney Haringey Islington Ken and Chelsea Newham Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth

The union is calling for the annual sum to be increased from £2,800 for inner London workers and £1,500 for outer London staff, to £4,000 across the board.

The dispute has been going on for more than two years and the action is likely to spread.

Unison's David Eggmore told BBC London that the strikes were regrettable, but were the only course of action available.

He said: "The basic problem that our members face is that they simply cannot afford to live and work in London on the rates they are on at the moment.

'Impact on the vulnerable'

"Something has to be done about that otherwise the services they provide will suffer."

Council staff including housing benefit workers and those working in homeless units will be among others on strike over the next two weeks.

Greenwich is providing an emergency service to cover striking staff in its housing needs section.

Richard Thompson, the director of housing services, criticised the action.

He said, "By targeting the housing needs service, the strike will impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

"This includes young homeless people and families with young children and we are likely to have little choice but to place some of these people into bed and breakfast accommodation."