Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will take strike action this Wednesday 29 November over the failure to offer teachers and Further Education lecturers a fair and decent pay award.
The strike action follows a half day of strike action in schools in February and a full day of strike action in schools and FE colleges in April. These strikes are expected to close the vast majority of Northern Ireland’s schools.
The half day strike is being carried out in furtherance of our campaign for a Better Deal for Teachers and Lecturers.
The NASUWT is calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2023/24. The union is highlighting the massive pay disparity across the UK.
Teachers have already lost thousands of pounds as a result of year-on-year pay cuts and the failure of salaries to keep pace with inflation since 2010. For example, a teacher at the start of the classroom main pay scale M1 has lost £44,669, while a teacher at the top of the classroom main pay scale M6 has lost £65,288, and an experienced teacher at the top of the Upper Pay Scale UPS3 has lost £76,064.
According to NASUWT research, the last 13 years have seen cuts of 38% to teachers’ pay in real terms.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“The pay situation for our members is simply intolerable. Teachers have not had a pay increase for three years while FE lecturer pay is even worse again. Our members shouldn’t be in the position where they must take industrial action to get the same basic rates of pay as colleagues elsewhere in the UK.
“Teachers and lecturers have seen their pay cut in real terms while their living costs continue to rise on a weekly basis. Our members are expected to pay more for housing, food and fuel while their pay does not change. This is a disgrace, and the UK government needs to address this urgently.”
Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland, said:
“Our members have had enough – this is the third teachers strike this year, and members resolve has strengthened since April. They do not want to hear any more excuses and are demanding that they are paid the same as any other teacher in the UK. A Northern Ireland teacher is not worth less than an English or Scottish teacher.
“The Department of Education and the Department for Economy along with the employers must bring forward a substantially improved pay offer if they want to see an end to these disputes.
“In the absence of an Executive, the UK government must ensure that teachers and lecturers in Northern Ireland are paid the same as their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.”
