Northern Ireland teaching unions announce full day of strike action on April 26

The announcement coincides with an escalation of action short of strike which began today and follows a half day strike action in schools on February 21.

A spokesperson for the unions said: “The five recognised teacher unions are calling on all teachers and school leaders to take a full day of strike on April 26.

“Our members have waited far too long for a satisfactory offer from the employers. Teachers pay, in real terms, has dropped by nearly a quarter in the ‘lost decade’ since the pay-freeze of 2010-11. We are now stepping up our campaign for a fair deal for all teachers.”

“Our members have watched governments in other jurisdictions make offers which will lead to pay levels far in excess of what is available in Northern Ireland. Collectively the five recognised unions are saying enough is enough and that government and employers must act now to deliver a pay settlement which recognises the real terms loss in earnings suffered by teachers for more than a decade.”

The five unions are INTO, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU and UTU.

For the NAHT, it will be the first time in its 125 year history that members will go on strike over pay.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “This unprecedented step is about fair pay for teachers and school leaders, who dedicate their lives to children in what is one of the most challenging and stressful roles in civic society.

"They have seen their pay eroded by 30%, in real terms, at a time when so much support, resource and funding to do their jobs has been taken away.

“Several other key factors have fed into the discontent around current working conditions, including decimated school funding, wholly unreasonable levels of workload and the well-documented failures to adequately meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

“Of course, there is still a chance that this action could be averted and so, again, we call on the government and the employers to make a reasonable offer to our members in pursuit of resolving this escalating dispute.”

Liam McGuckin, NAHT Northern Ireland’s president said: “Strike action is the last resort; the very last resort.

"Our members have reached the absolute last shred of their patience with a system that is failing its schools, its workforce and, most importantly, its young people.

"Without expedited significant investment, we will see a profession that holds together much of the fabric of society damaged irreparably.”

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said its members were left with no choice: “Neither the school or college employers have made a satisfactory pay and conditions offer to teachers and lecturers. This has left teachers and lecturers with no choice but to take further industrial action.

“At a time when teachers and lecturers are facing the biggest squeeze on their finances in a generation, offering a further real-terms pay cut is unacceptable.

“Our members are not prepared to stand by while their pay dwindles and their living costs rise."