For those who came to Lycra to practice sun salutations or downward dog, a yoga class can represent a moment of calm introspection. But for a group of Colchester instructors, teaching yoga has become a much more stressful job.
Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are voting on a potential strike after their union says they haven't had a pay rise for nearly a decade.
unison It said the 11 instructors working at the Leisure World complex and one other facility were paid significantly less than their private sector salaries and well below the pay scale of neighboring councils in Essex.
They stated that the hourly rate did not reflect the extra time it took to prepare, prepare, clean up, and answer questions from class members for the session, which meant more than two hours of labor was spent on each session. I am.
Unison said yoga and Pilates teachers' fees have remained at £25 an hour since 2015, but neighboring Tendring Council pays an extra £5.
Arlene, a yoga instructor who has worked with the council since 2016, said: “Leisure World is a great community and the people who attend the classes are very supportive of each other.” “But I don't even make minimum wage.'' In the classes I teach, I prepare for everything. ”
Instructors say they are unhappy that their salaries are determined on a different basis than other local government employees, and that until last year the City Council refused to review hourly wages for yoga and Pilates instructors. .
Unison said that in August 2023, with this in mind, senior managers offered no pay rises at all, while aerobics instructors rejected an offer of a £2.50 increase to £22.50 an hour.
“I feel like we're not thought of as working for the city council,” Arlene says. “They've never raised market rates. Everyone else in the building gets a raise, but we're forgotten.”
Unison East Area organizer Emma Abubaker said instructors are “bending over backwards to provide the best service possible.” “But bosses can't give you more than one raise every 10 years.
“Fitness instructors provide an essential service to the city's public health, but they also pay to take residents to leisure centres. They deserve a proper pay rise.”
Pam Donnelly, chief executive of the council, said: “Like all residents and businesses in the UK, the cost of living crisis, rising energy costs and the current economic “The situation is putting unprecedented pressure on us,” he said. It's all about local authority budgets, and Colchester City Council is no exception. ”
She said the commission is improving its wage offer to workers and hopes to reach a resolution. Unison voting closes on February 1st.
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which established its first dedicated branch for yoga instructors in 2021, says the estimated 10,000 yoga teachers in the UK are under the same pressures as other gig workers.
A spokesperson for the IWGB Yoga Teachers Branch said: “As with many volatile industries, yoga teachers are fragmented and personalized, making them vulnerable to exploitation.”
“Without the appropriate protections that most workers receive, teachers are not only victims of inadequate pay and a lack of employment rights, but also have no real reporting system and are unable to speak out against abuse. They also become more vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence due to fear of personal repercussions if they raise their standards.”
