Teaching unions in industrial action short of strike at Northern Ireland schools next week

The NASUWT union has been engaged in action short of a strike for some time, while several other unions are now notifying the Department of Education about their intention to join in the industrial action next week following a series of ballots.

In addition to NASUWT, members of INTO, NEU and NAHT have all voted in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action.

The Ulster Teachers Union, meanwhile, had not yet formally announced its ballot results on Thursday but a vote in favour of a strike is expected.

NASUWT Northern Ireland official Justin McCamphill, speaking to the News Letter, said: "All the unions have carried out ballots for industrial action. The NASUWT are already taking industrial action short of a strike action and we have been since May.

"There has been adverse reaction from management but we have pushed back on that. The other unions have now balloted for industrial action and have begun to notify the employers as to the form of that action.

"By-and-large, the actions they are going to take will be identical. We will be trying to align very closely to that."

Mr McCamphill would not rule out a move to a full strike in the future.

"Clearly, there is the potential for more escalated action short of strike action, or strike action. We are playing our cards close to our chest around when that would happen."