Northern Ireland strikes: teachers and health workers take action

Teachers and a number of health workers across Northern Ireland were taking part in strikes today (Tuesday).

Teachers are staging a 12-hour strike, due to end at midday, in a dispute over pay and the future of the profession.

Schools will reopen at noon to provide free school meals.

The NASUWT union said teachers are calling for a 12% increase in salaries.

Oakwood School in south Belfast was among those where staff manned picket lines on Tuesday morning.

Addele Lynas has been a teacher at the school for 29 years, and said that while taking part in a strike is hard for teachers, they have to do it to secure fair pay.

"I have been a special teacher all my life, the children are so important to me, I love every one of them, they're like part of my own family, but I feel I have to strike because the budget cuts in our school are ridiculous," she said.

"We don't have enough money to spend on anything, but as well as that, as a person, my wages have gone down in real terms by 38%. I'm a single income family and I need, like everybody else, money to pay bills, bills that are going up and up, and my wages haven't.

"Although I love the children, and it's really hard to be here, it is important for workers everywhere to be here."

She said that while a 12% increase sounds like a lot, teachers' wages have gone down by 38% in real terms.

"We just want fair pay for a fair job, we love our jobs, we're here because we love the children, we want to be in the school with the children," she said.

Ian McGonigle, NEU NI president, said teachers are also striking for the future of the teaching profession and their colleagues.

"We all know teachers who are so burnt out they are going part-time in droves or on long-term sick absence, colleagues at the beginning of their careers whose take-home pay will be irreparably damaged and reduce their earning power across their entire career," he said.

"For children without the SEN (special educational needs) support they need, or lost in the backlog waiting for assessment, for children whose education is at a detriment because of larger classroom sizes and less adults in the room, for the parents footing the bill because the school cannot afford basic supplies - we are taking this stand for them."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "Active engagement has been taking place for many months between Management Side and Teachers’ Side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) on a teachers’ pay settlement for 2021/22 and 2022/23. "However, it is important to note these negotiations are taking place at a time of growing and unprecedented financial pressures within the education sector which continue to adversely impact schools, staff and ultimately children and young people.

“Management Side remains committed to continuing meaningful, active engagement with Trade Union colleagues to reach a resolution and ensure our teachers are fairly remunerated.”

Gerry Murphy, northern secretary of the INTO union, said teachers hope to encourage employers and the Department of Education to get round the negotiating table.

"The decision to strike is one INTO members have not rushed into - indeed all of the recognised teacher trade unions have been very careful to manage this dispute in a way to minimise the disruption to the education of the children and young people in their care," he said.

"The harm being wrought across the education system due to systematic underfunding over the past decade is the real threat to the future of our children and young people.

"INTO members and their colleagues in the other recognised teacher unions have had enough.

"Enough of being forced to accept salaries that have not increased in real terms over the last 15 years, enough of increased workloads, enough of being forced to compensate for lack of resourcing and support for those in their care.

"Teachers are reasonable and sensible people and when they are moved to take strike action then the Government should listen.

"The five recognised teachers' unions are working together to achieve a decent and fair pay rise for all teachers and school leaders."

Responding, the Education Authority (EA) said active engagement has been taking place for many months between management and the Teachers' Negotiating Committee (TNC) on a pay settlement for 2021/22 and 2022/23.

"However, it is important to note these negotiations are taking place at a time of growing and unprecedented financial pressures within the education sector which continue to adversely impact schools, staff and ultimately children and young people," an EA spokesperson said.

"Management side remains committed to continuing meaningful, active engagement with trade union colleagues to reach a resolution and ensure our teachers are fairly remunerated."

Some health workers are also striking over pay and conditions.

The Nipsa union said thousands of its members in the health service are taking part in a 24-hour strike.

They include workers in domiciliary care, social work, ambulance workers, administration and nursing staff.

Padraig Mulholland, Nipsa deputy general secretary, said action by education and health workers is a "warning to employers that workers are not prepared to accept real-terms pay cuts and the destruction of services".

"We must have inflation-busting pay rises for all health service workers and an end to the chronic understaffing that puts lives at risk," he said.

"We cannot have a decent health service if thousands of posts are vacant and the staff are living in poverty.

"It is time for the whole trade union movement, public and private sector, to join together to fight to improve living standards and to defend services.

"Patient safety remains very important for health staff who will take industrial action. Discussions are ongoing to ensure the employers take the necessary steps to protect patients during the dispute."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said: The ongoing industrial action is undoubtedly impacting on patient care.

"The Department of Health fully understands the frustration of staff across health and social care, who have worked in extremely challenging circumstances over the last three years and continue to do so.

"This a national dispute which is only resolvable at national level. Northern Ireland has a policy of pay parity with England HSC workers covered by the Agenda for Change framework. Given that policy position, the absence of Ministers and current budgetary realities, there is no scope for a resolution at local level.