Education workers set for another strike over pay conditions
Education workers will take part in another day of strike action on Friday.
It follows strikes last week by workers in councils and the housing executive as well as education, as part of a campaign for an improved pay offer.
Unite the union has confirmed that education workers will strike on Friday April 1.
They said the Education Authority has been notified.
The action last week saw school transport and meals provision affected.
Kieran Ellison of Unite said there is likely to be considerable disruption to school transport.
"Full responsibility for this lies with the Education Authority, who have failed to make any response even after the first week of strike action," he said.
"We are calling on them to come forward with a realistic pay offer to address our members' pay expectations."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said employers must produce a realistic pay offer to avoid further strike action.
"Workers in local authorities, housing executive and education in Northern Ireland launched their campaign to win a decent pay deal with a powerful first week of strike action," she said.
"If they don't want more of the same these employers will have to come to the table with a realistic offer. The workers can count on my union's full support every step of the way."
In response, a spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA), said: “The Education Authority (EA) has been notified by Unite the Union that members across the organisation plan to take part in further industrial action on Friday 1st April 2022 (one day) in relation to a trade dispute over 2021/2022 pay.
“The EA is continuing to implement a range of contingency measures ahead of the further strike action in order to minimise as far as possible the disruption for children and young people as we very much recognise the impact this has on their day.
“Like last week, we will also work hard to ensure that the majority of transport and school meal services continue to be delivered.”
“The reality is that the ongoing strike action relates to a national pay offer which has already been agreed by the majority of Trade Unions and is currently being implemented across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Therefore, Local Government organisations, including EA, do not have the power or authority to renegotiate this for Northern Ireland and certainly not with one Trade Union in isolation.”
“Given this, we remain very concerned about the disproportionate impact the industrial action is having on children with special educational needs, and would urge Unite to accept our latest request for exemptions for Special School staff and transport.”
“National negotiations are due to commence on the 22/23 Pay Award and we would encourage Unite to join their Trade Union colleagues to engage constructively on this.”