Teachers announce strike action for January 18 as part of a long-running pay dispute

The five recognised teaching unions in the region will take part in the 24-hour industrial action.

Previous strikes have led to widespread disruption with most schools closing.

Pressure on public finances in Northern Ireland has meant it has not been possible to offer a pay award to public sector workers this year.

The Government has offered a financial package to settle public sector pay disputes in Northern Ireland, but it is conditional on the return of the Stormont Executive.

Negotiations between the parties and the Government over the offer are continuing.

The Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC), an umbrella group representing the main unions, said four strike days were planned during the spring term in 2024, with the first on January 18.

Jacquie White, general secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, said it was “unbelievable” that teachers would be entering 2024 with no resolution to the pay dispute.

She said: “Despite the fact that funding for the public sector pay claim has been identified within the initial offer which now sits with the Secretary of State (Chris Heaton-Harris), the ultimate irony remains that because of the current situation in Stormont there’s no apparent movement or will to deliver it.

“Meanwhile, teachers continue to hold together a system which is crumbling beneath the weight of long-term under-investment, a system which is short-changing our children and risking our future socio-economic success as a country.”

Justin McCamphill from the NASUWT said teachers were angry at the lack of a pay offer.

He said: “Teachers should not be pawns in a political game. Teachers want a return of government in Northern Ireland but also want to be fairly rewarded for the work that they do.

“Teachers are fully prepared for strike action but should never have been put in this position.”

He added: “Last week the Independent Review of Education in Northern Ireland raised major concerns in relation to the ongoing funding crisis.

“Education in Northern Ireland must be funded at the same level as the rest of the UK while ensuring that funding matches the needs of our children and young people.”

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), INTO and the National Education Union (NEU) will also take part in the strike action.

Teachers in Northern Ireland have not had a pay increase for almost three years.

The unions have said that teachers in England, Scotland and Wales now earn thousands of pounds more than their counterparts in Northern Ireland at the same grade.

A Department of Education spokesperson said: “The department fully understands the frustration of school leaders and teachers over the ongoing absence of a pay offer.

“It is regrettable that the department has been unable to offer a pay award for the past three years similar to other jurisdictions, but it is simply unaffordable within an inadequate education budget.

“Active engagement has been taking place for many months between management side and teachers’ side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) on a teachers’ pay settlement for 2021/22, 2022/23 and now 2023/24.

“A joint TNC pay subgroup has met regularly during this period and discussions will continue as soon as finance becomes available.”