Unite becomes second trade union to accept pay offer for educational support staff in Northern Ireland

Unite has become the second trade union to accept a pay offer from government for educational support workers.

At least one other union has yet to announce the result of members' ballots on the issue.

In May thousands of school support staff across Northern Ireland began days of strike action, complaining that an official pay and grading review for their members, carried out in 2018, had not been implemented.

Unions said that this mean that some of their members - who were not paid over the summer months - were effectively being paid less than minimum wage when their pay was averaged out over 12 months.

Workers such as bus drivers, classroom assistants, cleaning and canteen staff went on strike for several days in May, with further action cancelled in June after talks with government.

Members of Unite, GMB, NIPSA and Unison were all engaged in industrial action to various degrees on the issue.

In June Trade unions leaders from NIPSA and Unison said they would ask their members to accept the new pay deal from Government.

Last month GMB members voted to accept the offer.

Now members of Unite have also accepted the deal.

The results of ballots by NIPSA and Unison members have not yet been announced.

Unite says the pay offer provides an additional £130 million in pay over the next eight months and that the majority of educational support workers will see a significant uplift to pay.

It said the pay award delivers significant increases to the pay of education workers over the next two and a half years and also compounds into members’ pensions and overtime.

Entry-level pay rates will be sharply increased, it said, which will both aid recruitment, addressing the staffing crisis in the sector, and raise morale.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the outcome.

She said: “Education workers in Northern Ireland have won a very significant improvement to pay. Members of Unite have been on picket lines on and off for more than two years to achieve this outcome and have had the full support of the union in doing so.

“Without that powerful strike action, these workers would still be waiting for implementation of a pay and grading review first recommended in 2018. Once again, this result confirms that when Unite members get organised and stand up for themselves, they can win real improvements to their pay and conditions.”

Unite Regional officer Kieran Ellison added: “This is a genuine win for our members and for the education sector as a whole. Since this offer has already been agreed by two of the three remaining education trade unions, that provides a majority which means it will now be implemented. As a result, the total budget for pay of school support staff in Northern Ireland will increase by £130 million over the next eight months, with further incremental increases in April 2025, 2026 and 2027. This outcome ends our ongoing industrial dispute and confirms Unite’s role at the forefront of the fight to improve pay and conditions for school support workers in Northern Ireland.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “The Department welcomes Unite the Union supporting the proposed resolution to the pay and grading dispute and look forward to the joint response from all support staff unions once their consultation processes have finished.

"The resolution to the pay and grading dispute involves a two-stage deal. Stage 1 will move everyone onto new pay scales with effect from 1 April 2024.

"This is a permanent move with an immediate pay increase in most cases and the opportunity to progress up the new pay scale. Stage 2 is a gross non-consolidated payment on a pro-rata basis according to actual hours worked during the 2023/24 financial year.

"A maximum payment of £2,550 will be made to staff that have worked full time (36 or more hours per week) across the 2023/24 financial year. The payment will be reduced proportionately for staff who have worked part time hours.”