It is expected that most schools in Northern Ireland will close on Wednesday, as almost every teacher is likely to be on strike
Most Northern Ireland schools will be closed on Wednesday due to a full-day strike by teachers.
For the first time, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is taking part, joining four teaching unions who staged a previous walkout on 21 February.
With almost every teacher on strike, most schools will be unable to open.
As well as teachers, public service workers are also on strike with ports, MOT centres and courts affected.
The unions involved include the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa) the civil servants union, along with members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (GMB), Unite and all the teachers’ unions.
The action by the unions representing teachers is mainly due to a pay dispute, with a stalemate over a deal running for more than a year.
Members of the NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers) who work in further education (FE) colleges in Northern Ireland will, for the first time in the current dispute, join their colleagues in schools in striking.
The president of the Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU), Lynelle Fenton, said teachers were “striking for the children and young people they see every day in school because they fear for their education”.
“I really don’t think parents realise the cuts that are coming and the profound, potentially irreparable damage they will do to our education system, a system which until now has often been the envy of other parts of the UK,” she said.
“If the government wants to invest in its young people, in the future of society, they must invest in our schools and our teachers.
“Already we’re experiencing the impact of the brain drain as teachers quit Northern Ireland for better salaries elsewhere.”
In February 2022, unions rejected a pay offer from employers for the years 2021-2023 as “inadequate”.
But with Stormont’s education budget under severe pressure, it is not clear how much money is available to make teachers a pay offer the unions would accept.
‘Little choice’
This is the first time in its 125-year history that members of the NAHT have taken strike action over pay.
Previously, NAHT president in Northern Ireland, Liam McGuckin, said in a statement to BBC News NI that striking was “the very last resort”.
“Our members have reached the absolute last shred of their patience with a system that is failing its schools, its workforce and, most importantly, its young people,” he said.
Image source, Pacemaker
NASUWT members who work in further education (FE) colleges in Northern Ireland will, for the first time in the current dispute, also join their colleagues in schools in striking
Justin McCamphill, who is the national official of the NASUWT, said the “action to close schools and colleges for one day shows the seriousness of the situation faced by teachers and lecturers”.
“We hope parents will recognise that the quality of the education their children receive depends on having teachers who are recognised and rewarded as skilled professionals,” he added.
“For teachers, taking strike action really is a last resort.
“But when they feel they are not recognised and rewarded for what they do and they are insulted by receiving year-on-year pay cuts then they have little choice but to take this action.”
INTO (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation) northern secretary Mark McTaggart described the strike as a last resort and said teachers and school leaders “do not take the decision to withdraw their labour lightly”.
“No teacher wants to take this step,” he said. “This action is not against parents and their children – rather this is for their children.”
Justin McCamphill from NASUWT said striking was a last resort
In a statement, a spokesperson for the five unions said their members had “waited far too long for a satisfactory offer from the employers”.
“Teachers’ pay, in real terms, has dropped by nearly a quarter in the ‘lost decade’ since the pay freeze of 2010-11,” it added.
“We are now stepping up our campaign for a fair deal for all teachers.
“Our members have watched governments in other jurisdictions make offers which will lead to pay levels far in excess of what is available in Northern Ireland.
“Collectively, the five recognised unions are saying ‘enough is enough’ and that government and employers must act now to deliver a pay settlement which recognises the real terms loss in earnings suffered by teachers for more than a decade.”
The NEU (National Education Union), which is the largest education union in England’s schools and colleges, rejected a pay offer of a £1,000 one-off payment this year, and a 4.3% rise next year.
‘Expect disruption’
Elsewhere, the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland has said its public services could be affected by industrial action taking place on Wednesday.
It said that as “far as possible, contingency arrangements have been developed but the public are advised to expect disruption to many services as well as prioritisation of assistance to those incidents with most impact to life and property”.
The department said the Strangford ferry would not operate due to an ongoing strike and that there would be a significant reduction in its capacity to respond to flood emergencies should they occur.It said Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) test centres are expected to open but services may be affected.
Customers with booked appointments should attend as scheduled unless directly notified by the DVA not to attend.
