Northern Ireland schools strike:​ Teachers say there is “real anger” as thousands strike over ongoing pay dispute

​All five major teaching unions, including the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), were all on strike together for only the second time.

The 12-hour strike action that ended at 12 noon on Wednesday saw disruption at schools across Northern Ireland, many of which will also be affected on Friday when some school support staff and Translink workers go on strike.

Members of the Northern Ireland Teachers Council (NITC) announced that they are planning an additional four full-day strikes to take place in the spring term on dates to be agreed.

In the absence of a Stormont executive, the budget for Northern Ireland has been set by the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.

Northern Ireland is on course for an overspend of £450 million and would be nearly £1 billion if a pay rise for public sector workers was to be awarded.

​Senior teacher at St Patrick’s Academy James Slater said there was “real anger” from teachers at having to go on strike again due to the continued lack of resolution to the pay dispute.

He said: “I think the reality, if you’re the general public, and you’re looking inside thinking: ‘What are our teachers are being affected by?’ A lot of teachers now are working a second job, for example.

“There’s a real shortage of staff and I think that’s coming down the track here as well, it’s already in England, Wales and Scotland despite the fact that they have had pay rises.

“The shortage of staff and teaching, generally, in the next 10, 15 years, I think will be really acute."

​On Wednesday a delegation of NAHT representatives delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street, signed by 444 school leaders from across Northern Ireland, which called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to intervene and provide the funding needed to deliver a pay increase for school leaders and teachers.

Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT and vice-chair of NITC said the pay gap for teachers in NI in comparison to the rest of the UK has reached “epic proportions”.

He added: “The Secretary of State needs to come out of hiding and ensure that the education system in Northern Ireland is properly funded.”

DUP Education Spokesperson Diane Dodds said teachers have not had a pay rise for three years which she said is “neither sustainable nor fair”. She added: "As the budget stands today it is not a lack of will preventing those pay awards, nor the lack of a Minister but the lack of needs-based funding for our public services. "

​TUV leader Jim Allister said that “only Treasury money can solve the matter”. He added: "Making teachers a political pawn is wholly wrong and unacceptable.”

​A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said the UK Government has no authority to negotiate pay in Northern Ireland and it is for the relevant NI departments to negotiate pay policies.

It remains the Secretary of State’s priority to see the return of the assembly, they said. They added that the Secretary of State has commissioned advice from the NI Civil Service on potential measures to raise more public revenue.