School strike announced for January

Students walking to school.
Further school strikes have been scheduled for January 2024. Credit: PA

Principals, teachers and lecturers will take strike action In Northern Ireland on Thursday 18 January 2024.

The five main unions will take part in 24 hours of industrial action in the new year as a result of a long-running dispute over pay.

Teachers pay has been frozen for almost three years prompting earlier strike action in April and November 2023.

Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland, said teachers "should not be used as political pawns".

This comes as talks on a financial package contigent on Stormont's return - a portion of which would go to settle public sector pay disputes- remain ongoing.

McCamphill said: “Last week the Independent Review of Education in Northern Ireland raised major concerns in relation to the ongoing funding crisis.

"Education in Northern Ireland must be funded at the same level as the rest of the UK while ensuring that funding matches the needs of our children and young people.

"Teachers fully support the return of a devolved government and believe that a restored Executive is best placed to address how Northern Ireland’s long-term finances are supported by the UK government.  However, teachers need to be paid now.”

Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union said it was “unbelievable” that teachers would be entering 2024 without a pay rise.

She said: “Despite the fact that funding for the public sector pay claim has been identified within the initial offer which now sits with the Secretary of State (Chris Heaton-Harris), the ultimate irony remains that because of the current situation in Stormont there’s no apparent movement or will to deliver it.

“Meanwhile, teachers continue to hold together a system which is crumbling beneath the weight of long-term under-investment, a system which is short-changing our children and risking our future socio-economic success as a country.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said: “The Department fully understands the frustration of school leaders and teachers over the ongoing absence of a pay offer.

"It is regrettable that the Department has been unable to offer a pay award for the past three years similar to other jurisdictions, but it is simply unaffordable within an inadequate education budget.

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