Teachers formalise intention to strike next Thursday

TEACHERS in Tyrone have officially informed employers of their intention to strike next Thursday.

The announcement follows prolonged disputes over pay and working conditions, which have escalated since discussions began in 2020.

Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU), expressed deep regret over the decision, highlighting that alternative actions had failed to address the core issues.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that each and every member feels cornered into this action given that our long-running pay claim began in 2020.

“Alternative lesser actions have unfortunately made no difference in securing Northern Ireland teachers parity with their counterparts elsewhere in GB.

“With newly qualified teachers’ salaries here an astonishing £8,000 below those just a few miles away in, for instance, Scotland, we can no longer allow our profession to be treated so contemptibly.

“Our industrial action is about advocating for a better future for our children who are being denied essential services.”

Tens of thousands of workers from across the public sector, including teachers, civil servants and bus and train drivers, are walking out on Thursday, January 18 over pay.

The strike also involves nurses, midwives and healthcare workers.

Unions have billed it as the biggest strike in Northern Ireland’s history.