Teachers reject ‘inadequate’ pay offer amid union strike warning

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen said she was disappointed with the outcome of the pay negotiations.

Teachers could take strike action in a pay row (PA) (PA Archive)

Teachers’ representatives have rejected an “inadequate” pay offer from Stormont, with one union warning of potential strike action.

The Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC), which represents teachers in pay negotiations with management, said there was a need for a fresh offer that reflected high inflation rates.

Teachers’ union the NASUWT said a survey of its members indicated that 70% were prepared to strike over the issue.

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen said she was “disappointed” that an agreement had not been reached on the pay dispute.

The NITC said it had submitted a pay claim for 2021-23 for 6%. The council said inflation was running at 5.5%.

It said the management offer involved restructuring pay grades over a two-year period, a move the council said would have cost less than an equivalent pay offer of 1% each year.

NASUWT representative Justin McCamphill described the pay offer as ‘derisory’ (David Young/PA) (PA Archive)

The Department of Education said the offer made by management was worth 3.2%.

An NITC spokesman said: “The NITC has rejected this inadequate offer.

“We are calling on Management Side to urgently make a new offer to teachers which reflects the current inflationary environment and the work that teachers have carried out during the pandemic.”

Ms McIlveen said: “I am disappointed that the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council have rejected the pay offer that was made to them last week.

“Management Side had offered a two-year pay deal worth 3.2% from 1 September 2021.

“The pay award would have seen the removal of the bottom point of the current teachers’ pay scale and the addition of a further point at the top of the scale, with a similar approach applied to each of the pay ranges for school leaders.

“This pay offer had been made despite a very difficult financial situation and I had hoped that this would have led to a completion of the pay negotiations for 2021/22 and 2022/23 during the current mandate.

“Management Side will now take time to consider how the matter should be progressed before engaging again with NITC.”

The NASUWT said 88% of its surveyed members rejected the pay offer.

The union said 94% of those surveyed said they were prepared to take action short of strike action and 70% were prepared to strike.

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen said she was disappointed that the offer had not been accepted (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Archive)

The NASUWT said 74% responded to say their workload had increased significantly in the last two years, with 54% saying they were seriously considering leaving the profession.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “NASUWT members are united and clear in their message to the Northern Ireland Executive that the latest pay offer is an insult to the dedication and hard work shown by teachers across Northern Ireland.

“This pay offer has come after months and months of delay and represents a further damaging real-terms cut to teachers’ salaries at a time of surging inflation and a deepening cost of living crisis.

“This pay offer is an insult to the hard work, dedication and commitment of teachers.

“The failure to tackle excessive teacher workload is further adding to the anger of teachers.

“NASUWT members are clear that they are prepared to take action if the minister does not deliver a substantially better deal which addresses teachers’ concerns on pay and workload.”

Justin McCamphill, NASUWT’s national official in Northern Ireland, added: “The current derisory pay offer is damaging the morale of the profession and will only serve to make the recruitment and retention of teachers harder at a time when they are desperately needed.

“The anger in the profession has to be recognised and an improved pay offer must be brought forward to avoid an escalation to industrial action over pay.”