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Teachers have argued they have effectively seen their pay drop by 38% in recent years and expressed concern around funding cuts in the sector. It comes as the Education Authority, which runs education in Northern Ireland, has been asked to model cuts of up to 10% amid warnings of a difficult Stormont budget next year. The largest teaching union, the NASUWT, is calling for a 12% pay increase.

Justin McCamphill, from the union, said there has been coordinated action short of strike for months, before on Tuesday, the "vast majority" of teachers and school leaders took part in walk outs.

"This step is an important one, and as we go forward we must maintain that united front," he told a rally at Belfast City Hall.

"The last 13 years have seen cuts of 38% to teachers pay in real terms.

"Teachers are struggling to make ends meet. Teachers have told us they have had to cut back on essential household expenditure, they have told us that worrying about finances has affected their ability to do the job.

"Teachers have told us how they have had to take on second jobs, teachers have told us their workload is impacting their mental and physical health.

"This is not a foundation for delivering high quality education to our children and young people."

He said teachers are "at breaking point", and urged that the cuts demanded of the Education Authority are stopped.

"Education must be properly funded, not just pay for the workforce but to make teaching a job that teachers are happy to do," he said.

Gerry Murphy, northern secretary of the Into union, said the strike was having a strong impact, bringing pressure on Stormont and the NIO.

"By the middle of March every public servant across the north will be on strike or about to go on strike - let's see how long they can hold out then," he said.

Oakwood School in south Belfast was among those where staff manned picket lines on Tuesday morning.

Addele Lynas has been a teacher at the school for 29 years, and said that while taking part in a strike is hard for teachers, they have to do it to secure fair pay.

"I have been a special teacher all my life, the children are so important to me, I love every one of them, they're like part of my own family, but I feel I have to strike because the budget cuts in our school are ridiculous," she said.

"We don't have enough money to spend on anything, but as well as that, as a person, my wages have gone down in real terms by 38%. I'm a single income family and I need, like everybody else, money to pay bills, bills that are going up and up, and my wages haven't.

"Although I love the children, and it's really hard to be here, it is important for workers everywhere to be here.

"We just want fair pay for a fair job, we love our jobs, we're here because we love the children, we want to be in the school with the children."

The Education Authority (EA) said active engagement has been taking place for many months between management and the Teachers' Negotiating Committee (TNC) on a pay settlement for 2021/22 and 2022/23.

"However, it is important to note these negotiations are taking place at a time of growing and unprecedented financial pressures within the education sector which continue to adversely impact schools, staff and, ultimately, children and young people," an EA spokesperson said.

"Management side remains committed to continuing meaningful, active engagement with trade union colleagues to reach a resolution and ensure our teachers are fairly remunerated."

Some health workers also took part in strike action over pay and conditions.

The Nipsa union said thousands of its members in the health service took part in a 24-hour strike.

They included workers in domiciliary care, social work, ambulance workers, administration and nursing staff.

Padraig Mulholland, Nipsa deputy general secretary, said there are massive numbers of public servants "preparing for battle in the next few weeks and months".

"The next step has to be a general strike of every public sector worker," he said.

Teachers in Northern Ireland are at breaking point, struggling to make ends meet, and having to take on second jobs, says union official, as ‘vast majority’ of teachers and school leaders take part in 12-hour strike amid demands for 12% pay increase