Thousands of union members could face job and pay cuts as schools are transformed into academies, union delegate says.

Delegates to Unison’s local government conference in Brighton debated a motion to oppose the Government’s academisation plans announced last month in the Queen’s speech.

The delegate from Camden spoke first arguing the jobs and pay of 250,000 members were under threat from academisation.

‘Make no mistake,’ he warned, the Government 'still wants to force schools to become academies.’

Academisation, he said, is the Government’s attempt to ‘privatise schools for all’.

Another delegate called on conference attendees to support national industrial action to prevent what they described as ‘turning schools into corporate businesses’.

The motion passed.