Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will take strike action In Northern Ireland on Tuesday 21 February over the failure to offer teachers a fair and decent pay award.
The NASUWT is calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2022/23.
The strike action will consist of a half day strike on the morning of 21 February. The strike action follows a concerted campaign of action short of strike action across all grant-aided schools.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“The NASUWT commenced action short of strike action last May and has escalated that action twice since then. The union has now announced a half day of strike in furtherance of our campaign for a Better Deal for Teachers.”
“We have been left with no choice but to take strike action as a result of the failure of the education employers to offer any improvement on the miserly two year proposal made last February.”
“At a time when teachers are facing the biggest squeeze on their finances in a generation, offering what amounts to a further real-terms pay cut is simply not good enough.”
“Our members are not prepared to stand by while their pay dwindles and their living costs rise.”
“The Department of Education and employers must bring forward a substantially improved pay offer if they want to see an end to this dispute.”
Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland, said:
“Our members would rather be in school working with their pupils, but have had no option but to take this action in order to stand up for their right to a salary which reflects the skilled and difficult work they do and which enables them to weather the cost of living crisis.
“The current pay offer is simply insufficient. Teachers are not willing to accept yet another real-terms pay cut and are continuing to fight for a better deal.”
“The cost of living crisis has brought this situation to a head and unless the Department and employers act to offer teachers a fair and decent pay award we cannot rule out further strike action in the months to come.”