WELSH LABOUR says more than 1,000 school support staff in Pembrokeshire could see a pay boost if the party forms the next Welsh Government after the Senedd election in May.

First Minister Eluned Morgan is due to make the commitment at UNISON’s Labour Link conference in Cardiff on Saturday (Jan 24), after visiting a Cardiff school on Friday (Jan 23) with Education Secretary Lynne Neagle to discuss the proposal with support staff and the headteacher.

The pledge centres on ending “term-time only” pay arrangements for school support staff by moving to year-round pay, alongside creating a School Support Staff Negotiating Body in law to set national frameworks for pay, conditions and training.

Welsh Labour says the plan would cover a wide range of roles, including teaching assistants, administrative staff, caretakers, lunchtime supervisors and others who help keep schools running day to day.

Figures quoted in the party’s briefing, drawn from a recent UNISON report, suggest there are 1,090 school support staff in Pembrokeshire, with 92% of the workforce said to be women. The same report notes the number does not include cleaning, catering and grounds staff, meaning the total number affected could be higher.

Supporters of the plan argue it would tackle in-work poverty among staff who carry responsibility in schools but are often on low wages and insecure arrangements.

In her prepared speech, Ms Morgan is expected to say school support staff are “the backbone” of the education system and that it is “not fair” so many are among the lowest-paid public sector workers and are not paid year-round. Ms Neagle said Labour would boost pay and broaden opportunities, adding that “standing side by side with trade unions is at the heart of the Labour Party”.

UNISON Cymru regional secretary Jess Turner welcomed the pledge, saying term-time only pay means “tens of thousands” of workers endure in-work poverty despite being essential to education, while a Cardiff-based higher level teaching assistant, Cath Rowlands, said support roles have changed “dramatically” but pay and conditions have not kept pace.

However, the announcement is also likely to raise questions about cost, implementation and timing — and whether councils and schools would receive additional funding to meet any new national settlement.

Education budgets in Wales remain under pressure, with local authorities and headteachers already warning about difficult financial decisions, including staffing reductions, as they balance rising costs with tight settlements. Critics may argue that any new pay commitment would need clear costings, a delivery timetable, and guarantees that schools would not be forced to make cuts elsewhere to meet higher wage bills.

There may also be scrutiny over how quickly a new negotiating body could be set up in law, and whether it would apply uniformly across Wales or allow for local flexibility.

Welsh Labour has linked the proposal to a wider “fair work” package, including a promise to update the Welsh Government’s Economic Contract so that businesses receiving Welsh Government support must pay the Real Living Wage, curb exploitative zero-hours contracts and recognise trade unions.

The school staff pledge is the second major policy announcement highlighted by the party this month, following its proposal for a £2 cap on adult bus fares and 100 new routes.

The Herald has asked Pembrokeshire County Council for comment on how many staff locally are currently on term-time only arrangements, and what the potential cost implications could be for schools and the local authority if a year-round pay model were introduced.