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Teachers suspend planned industrial action

PA Media A man holding a sign that's reads "teachers matter!" and has an arrow with the word "wages" on it pointing from "MLAs" to "teachers" The Sign also has INTO branding. Beside him is a woman smiling and giving a thumbs up to the camera. They are standing in a crowd of people.PA Media

Four unions representing teachers in Northern Ireland have suspended a planned industrial action.

The action short of strike was due to begin on Monday and run for four weeks.

INTO, the UTU, the NEU and NASUWT had balloted their members over what they described as the lack of "a satisfactory pay offer for 2024-25".

The unions have now said the action has been suspended "in an effort to successfully conclude negotiations".

INTO Northern Secretary, Mark McTaggart said they "have not taken this step lightly," adding that the unions "are fully prepared to engage in industrial action if necessary at the end of the four-week period".

Jacquie White, the General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers' Union, welcomed progress in the negotiations over the past few days.

"All we ask is for a decent, fair and equitable pay award for 2024/2025.

"This positive step allows for intense negotiations over the next few weeks," she added.

PA Media Paul Givan standing in a classroom with display boards behind him. He is wearing a suit and tie and speaking at a microphone, gesturing with one hand out in front of him.PA Media
Paul Givan said he was "determined" to reach a fair pay agreement with teachers

Education Minister Paul Givan welcomed the suspension of industrial action.

He said that teachers "deserve a fair and appropriate pay settlement" and that he is "determined to achieve that".

"I have been clear with the unions that I am committed to securing the funding required to make a formal pay offer in the context of the agreement reached in the summer of last year in England and Wales, on the understanding that we secure agreement to a sustained period of stability, free from industrial action, including ASOS, in our schools."

Givan added that he had "asked management side to intensify discussions with our trade union partners to reach a formal agreement over the next four weeks".

Teacher pay rises

Teachers in England received a 5.5% pay rise for 2024-25 from the government in September.

It was funded by an additional £1.2bn from the UK government.

Despite the fact that it is more than halfway through the 2024-25 financial year, no pay deal for teachers in Northern Ireland has yet been agreed.

BBC News NI has seen an extract from an executive document that there is only enough money to offer civil servants a 3% pay increase for 2024/25.

The teaching unions in Northern Ireland accepted a previous pay deal in March 2024, but that was a backdated covering the years from 2021 to 2024.