School principal warns of fresh strike action amid pay dispute

TEACHERS across the county will ballot next month to decide whether they are willing to go on strike over an ongoing pay dispute with their employer.

Unions representing the majority of the North’s primary and secondary teachers will hold a vote to determine whether their members are prepared to engage in industrial action as a means of attaining pay parity with their counterparts in England.

The Tyrone Herald understands that an affirmative vote will be followed first by action short of strike, including acts of non-cooperation with the Education Training Inspectorate, Education Authority, Department of Education and school principals.

If these measures fail to induce an agreeable pay offer, teachers would then, in all likelihood, escalate industrial action to something resembling a full-on strike.

In March 2024, after three years of negotiations with the Department of Education, teaching unions here accepted a pay rise that eventually put the majority of them on an equal financial footing with their professional peers across the water.

GAP

However, soon after, teachers in England were awarded a 5.5 per-cent wage increase, thus once again opening up a pay gap.

Unions representing local teachers –  including the NASUWT, INTO and UTU – are now demanding that the Department of Education be forthcoming with ‘a satisfactory pay offer for 2024-2025’.

According to Peter Torney, principal of St Patrick’s Primary School in Newtownstewart and Tyrone secretary of INTO, this means the restoration of pay parity.

Speaking with the Tyrone Herald, Mr Torney hit out at a statement by Education Minister Paul Givan describing news of the ballot as ‘disappointing’.

Mr Torney said, “It is a little sad that the Education Minister has to be reminded that the increase achieved by teachers last April covered the period of the previous three years.

“This almost equates to someone saying, ‘Sure didn’t you all get a pay rise last year, surely you don’t want another already?’

“Indeed, the pay rise last year, though welcome as it was, did not achieve parity of pay for all teachers in Northern Ireland with their counterparts in the UK. Most of them yes, but not all.

“Once again, teachers here are forced to go with the begging bowl to ask for what should be rightfully theirs.

“I think I’m right in saying that our MLAs don’t have to endure this annual ordeal in order to achieve a pay rise.”

He continued, “Inflation has not magically gone away. In England, teachers were recently awarded an increase of 5.5 per-cent.

“We simply want the same for teachers here. Most people I’m quite sure understand how negotiations work.

“The initial demand from the unions for 13 per-cent certainly reflects our worth and the need for parity but should also be looked at in terms of how negotiations actually take place.”

Struggles

Mr Torney continued, “As a principal myself, one of the biggest struggles faced in school is the shortage of substitute teachers. Parents want consistency of staff for their children.

“It is simply not possible when substitute teachers are in such demand and the reason for this is simple – the profession is experiencing a brain drain.

“Our highly-qualified graduates are being snapped up by schools across the water or further field in the Middle East where they can achieve significantly higher salaries.”

The membership ballot will take place between November 25 and December 16.

Mr Torney said he will be urging the INTO membership in Tyrone Central to give overwhelming support to the call for industrial action.

“We should know before Christmas whether or not there is a popular will for industrial action. Once we know that, we will progress accordingly. We are not asking for anything radical.

All we want is to be treated fairly.”