Support the Lift strike!

People (and a dog) on the picket lines at Pioneer School

UPDATE: Strikes suspended!

Lift has made an improved offer to workers. A few details are being ironed out and it will then be put to UNISON members for a vote.

UNISON members at specialist SEN schools — Pioneer School in Basildon and Columbus School & College in Chelmsford — are standing up for fair pay.

Teachers across the Lift academy chain rightly get an SEN allowance, recognising the extra skills and responsibilities that come with supporting students with special educational needs.

But the support staff, who shoulder the majority of the behavioural issues and extra personal and medical care, get nothing.

UNISON says Lift is out of order. Fair pay for SEN staff!

Support the workers

There are loads of ways to support these UNISON members as they take action.

Sign the petition

UNISON members have set up a petition to Lift, so that staff, parents, local residents and other supporters can show their support.

Please sign and share the petition.

Sign now

Join the picket lines

Come along to show your solidarity with the Lift strikers. Picket lines will run from 8am to 11am each day of strikes.

Locations:

  • Columbus School & College, Oliver Way, Chelmsford CM1 4ZB
  • Pioneer School, Ghyllgrove, Basildon, SS14 2LA

Dates:

  • Strike are currently suspended following an improved offer.

Solidarity messages

Knowing they’ve got the backing of UNISON’s 1.3 million members and other trade unionists means a lot to workers on strike.

Send your message below and it will be read out on picket lines and shared with the strikers.

Donations

Every penny counts for school support staff so any financial support you can provide goes a long way to helping make ends meet. You or your union branch can send donations to.

UNISON Essex 22151 Branch
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Account Number: 20371887
Reference: Lift

You can follow the dispute on UNISON Eastern’s social media, please like and subscribe to get the message out there.

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Lift staff protest outside the trust's HQ
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Striking Essex school staff win payment for specialist work

Support staff at two schools in Essex have won a long-running dispute to get an extra payment for their work with children with special educational needs (SEN), says UNISON today. The workers at Columbus School & College in Chelmsford and Pioneer School in Basildon – both SEN specialist sites run by Lift multi-academy trust – […]

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Lift staff protest outside the trust's HQ
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Essex special needs school support staff suspend strikes

Teaching assistants at two special education needs (SEN) schools in Essex have suspended planned strikes after receiving a new offer from employer Lift, says UNISON today. Workers at Columbus School & College in Chelmsford and Pioneer School in Basildon had been due to walk out on Monday (2 March) as they pushed for an allowance […]

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On the picket line at Columbus
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Striking Essex school staff rally at academy chain’s London HQ

One hundred striking Essex school support staff will take their call for fair pay to academy chain Lift’s head office in London today, says UNISON. Classroom assistants and other frontline support staff from special education needs (SEN) schools Pioneer in Basildon and Columbus in Chelmsford will hold a lunchtime rally outside Lift HQ in White […]

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Special educational needs support staff to strike next week

School staff supporting pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in Essex have announced a series of strikes over a lack of recognition and pay, UNISON says today. Teaching assistants, pastoral support workers and other support staff at three schools run by the Lift Schools multi-academy trust will walk out next Wednesday (28 January), and seven […]

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School support staff hold signs calling for fair pay and reading "Lift: out of order"
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Essex special education needs school staff vote to strike

School staff supporting students with special educational needs (SEN) in Essex have voted overwhelmingly to strike over the lack of recognition and pay for their roles, UNISON says today. Teaching assistants, pastoral support workers and other support staff at three schools run by the Lift Schools multi-academy trust – Columbus School & College in Chelmsford, […]

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