Northern Ireland education strikes: GMB union warns 3000 school staff may resume strikes after minister offers them 'no money'

The GMB Union, which represents more than 3,000 school staff in Northern Ireland, has warned of further industrial action after meeting the Education Minister Paul Givan at Stormont today.

The union represents classroom assistants, kitchen staff, bus drivers, cleaners, admin workers and others in the education sector.

The news comes after public sector workers - including health staff, education workers and civil servants - staged one of the largest strikes in recent history in Northern Ireland last month, many calling for pay parity with GB.

The UK Government has given the reformed assembly £3.3bn to stabilise the public sector services - £600m of which was earmarked to settle public sector pay disputes

The union claimed that Mr Givan made it clear that within the current public sector pay budget of £684 million there was nothing to address the pay and grading review for school staff, which has been ongoing since 2018.

GMB said it will now go back to members, with a view to taking further industrial action.

A senior source in a teaching union told the News Letter that as yet teachers had not been made a pay offer either by the new minister of education. They said of the GMB statement that "this doesn't look good".

Jim Donley, Regional Organiser, said: “GMB members across the Education Authority are some of the lowest paid in the country.

“This news will be another blow to workers who have been campaigning since 2018 for an end to the mismatch between grades and responsibilities.

“Previous Stormont Executives have failed to address this - it simply isn’t acceptable given a the business case has already been agreed between unions and management.

“GMB now has no alternative now but to engage with our members with the view to taking further industrial action.”

In a statement issued after the meeting, Mr Givan said he would be bidding for additional funding from the Stormont budget to meet the pay demands.

Today he met with the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Trade Union Side to discuss a range of issues including pay and grading for support staff.

The JNC comprises four unions NIPSA, UNISON, GMB and Unite the Union

The Minister had written to the JNC Trade Union Secretaries seeking an urgent meeting to discuss the Pay & Grading Review business case and ongoing industrial action as a result of the delay in its implementation.

Speaking after the meeting today the Minister said: “I have made it clear to JNC members today that the resolution of all industrial action is a priority for me.

“I underlined to unions my gratitude for the contribution made by support staff to the education and lives of our children and young people. Without their outstanding dedication and hard work, those who are most dependent on the services they provide, would not receive the vital support they need and deserve.

“I very much regret the serious impact that strike action is having on the education and wellbeing of children and young people across Northern Ireland, most especially those who attend our special schools where the effect is felt most acutely.”

Paul Givan added: “I want all staff in the education sector to be paid at a fair level for the job they do, however there are significant costs associated with a resolution of current strike action.

“I am committed to resolving the issues around the business case and will be bidding for additional funding in Executive’s Budget 2024-25 to enable the recommendations from the pay and grading review to be implemented.”