Unionist MLA calls for 'elected politicians and ministers' in place to break strike deadlock

East Londonderry MLA Claire Sugden said that today’s teacher walk-out had “her full support”, adding that the strike was “a last resort and demonstrated how exasperated teachers had become with real-terms wage reductions and increasingly difficult living and working conditions”.

Meanwhile the Alliance Party used the industrial action to apply fresh pressure to the DUP to end its boycott of Stormont in protest at the Irish Sea border wrought by the Protocol / Windsor Framework.

The DUP had a day earlier released a statement indicating support for a public sector pay hike, or at least for consideration of one.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had said on Tuesday: “There needs to be a rethink by the Treasury on public sector pay.

"If the public sector is to be fit for purpose in the 21st century, then it must be capable of attracting and retaining the people who are essential to the delivery of our key public services.

"Losing key workers to agencies or indeed other countries, is not sustainable.”

Speaking on Wednesday, Ms Sugden said: “Teachers striking today want nothing more than to do their jobs and teach our children in the best possible circumstances.

"The importance of this job cannot be under-estimated and those who choose this vocation do so because of a passion they have for this role.

“This should not, however, be taken advantage of. Teachers must be shown they are appreciated and the importance they have in forming the next generation is recognised – starting with fair and appropriate pay...

" Further strikes are likely if no movement is made on this issue, but the fact is that without a functioning government in Stormont it is difficult to see how properly funded negotiations can be made.

“The education budget in Northern Ireland is being slashed. We need locally elected politicians and ministers to deal directly with teachers here in order that a fair and properly budgeted pay deal can be made.”

Alliance education spokeswoman Connie Egan MLA said: “When strike action was announced at the beginning of the month it will not have surprised anyone.

"We all know of the immeasurably impactful role teachers play in the lives of children and young people, but they are being undervalued and underpaid.

"The crucial work they do in our society should be recognised through a fair pay deal.

“We in Alliance have been supportive of the unions' recent campaign for fair pay in education because we need to ensure teachers are properly valued...

"There are simply no excuses for the continued boycott of the institutions by the DUP. They are holding our entire education system to ransom, and it is totally unacceptable.

"With strike action by almost every teacher in Northern Ireland taking place today, it is time for the DUP to accept the fact that our children deserve better, end their deadlock, and get back to Stormont to get an Education Minister into office to deal with it.”