The majority of teachers in Northern Ireland are set to start industrial action short of striking after rejecting a 5.5% pay offer for the 2024/25 academic year. Teaching unions say the offer was not clear enough and contained restrictions. Action will begin on Monday, February 10.
The majority of teachers in Northern Ireland are poised to embark on industrial action short of a strike after rejecting a proposed pay offer . Last week, employers presented a 5.5% pay increase for the 2024/25 academic year. However, the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC), representing the five key teaching unions, announced that following consultations with members, they were unable to endorse the proposed agreement.
The NITC emphasized its commitment to continued negotiations in pursuit of a clear and unrestricted pay award. Teaching unions had previously suspended planned industrial action while pay negotiations were underway. However, they are now set to resume this action from Monday, February 10.Jacquie White, UTU General Secretary and Chair of NITC, explained, 'UTU members raised concerns regarding the clarity of the offer and have indicated their inability to accept it at this time. Nonetheless, we remain dedicated to finding a path forward that delivers a resolution for our members.' Mark McTaggart, INTO Northern Secretary and Secretary of NITC, added, 'Members and school leaders have communicated their dissatisfaction with the perceived restrictions embedded in last week’s offer. It is disheartening that ongoing negotiations have failed to reach an amicable resolution. INTO remains committed to securing a pay increase that is acceptable to our members.' Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official and Vice Chair of NITC, stated, “Our members have unequivocally made it clear that the offer presented to them last week was not acceptable. The Management Side needs to formulate a pay offer that aligns with the legitimate expectations of teachers. Action short of strike action will commence on Monday.”Meanwhile, members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT NI) have voted to accept the pay offer. Graham Gault, NAHT NI National Secretary, commented: 'While the NAHT membership voted in favor of accepting the offer, the broader NITC position signifies that the offer has not been ratified by all unions and will therefore not proceed in its current form. The NAHT will actively engage with its own membership to determine our next steps while remaining dedicated to collaborating collectively with others to secure an offer that can be accepted by all parties.' Eve Bremner, Chair of the Management Side of the Teachers' Negotiating Committee, expressed, “It is extremely disappointing that the NITC have not ratified this offer and that the trade unions are proceeding with industrial action. We offered a substantial increase as teachers deserve fair pay, but we also wanted to ensure pupils have a sustained period free from industrial action, so the offer included a commitment to work with the trade unions to deliver over twenty measures addressing workload concerns.
Northern Ireland Teachers Industrial Action Pay Offer Negotiations
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