Mother of special educational needs child accuses Unite of using pupils as 'bargaining' chips in pay dispute

She said that although Unite had told the education authorities that the union would not be used as a bargaining chip to force the restoration of Stormont, her daughter and other pupils were now being used by the union to do just that.

Drivers who take children to and from special needs schools are among thousands of public sector workers taking eight days of strike action, beginning with a one-day stoppage next Thursday.

The caller to BBC Radio’s Nolan Show on Friday morning, Kerry, said parents in her position have been left “very upset” that their children are missing so much school time.

"Whenever we had the news on Wednesday, myself and some of the other parents in the school were actually very upset.

“This impacts getting kids to and from school, it’s taking them out of their routine,” she said.

Transport workers, police staff and civil servants are also among those who are to take part in the generalised day of action on January 18.

Kerry said children “need to be able to go to school, to access the service that they need to help them develop,” and added: "For some parents the bus services are an absolute lifeline.

"Special schools aren’t local around-the-corner schools. Some kids are maybe on the bus an hour each way.

"As parents we have been very understanding of the strikes and very supportive, and we appreciate everything that the bus drivers do,

"But, since June there have been nine days of transport strikes, so with these new eight days, it’s going to push us to 17 days of no transport in six months.

"We are angry at Unite the union, to be honest. I think it’s all being pushed from them.

"One of the comments that Unite said in the release that they sent to the education authorities on Wednesday was that ‘we cannot allow ourselves to be used as political bargaining to force the parties back into Stormont’. Well, you’re not using yourselves, you’re actually using the special educational needs of kids to do that.”

Speaking to the BBC earlier on Friday, Kieran Ellision of Unite said the union would consider making a “special dispensation” for special needs schools.

He said: "It is the EA who request said dispensation and, as yet, the EA has not made this request. If this request is forthcoming Unite the Union will consider and make a decision”.

He added: "Not a single member of Unite the Union has ever said I want to disrupt these children's lives – in fact, quite the opposite."

An EANI spokeswoman said they remain “committed to continuing... meaningful and active engagement," with both the unions and the Department of Education, however, she added: "Progress has been impacted by the financial pressures in the education sector and the Northern Ireland block grant as a whole”.

The spokeswoman said: "EA will work closely with all schools to implement where possible a range of contingency measures... as we very much recognise the impact that industrial action may have for our pupils, schools, and families.

“EA has asked for a derogation for special school staff as we fully understand that this impacts on the most vulnerable of our children”.