Labour has pledged to end the “scandal” of teaching assistants in academies being paid the minimum wage, while their chief executives are paid six-figure salaries.

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said the party would take action in government to stop academy chains paying “poverty” wages.

Academies are able to set their own pay scales, but Ms Rayner said Labour would apply national terms and conditions to all schools.

She told the annual conference of the GMB union in Brighton: “The Labour Party will bring back genuine national pay in education. Not just for the teachers but for other educators, too.

“We will reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body [which former education secretary Michael Gove abolished in 2010].

Teaching assistants on ‘poverty wages’

“National pay settlements will apply to every school that is funded through our National Education Service.

“There will be no more race to the bottom in our schools, and we will end the scandal of teaching assistants on the minimum wage.”

Karen Leonard, GMB national officer for schools, said: “GMB members in academy schools are often paid poverty wages while bosses pocket £150,000 salaries.

“We welcome this much-needed pledge from Labour to stop the kind of academy penny-pinching which sees our dedicated and professional school support staff struggling to get by.

“Ultimately, it’s our children who will suffer if school staff aren’t paid properly.”