NI strike: teachers confirm walkout on January 18

Teachers across Northern Ireland are set to go on strike on next week.

All five main teaching unions in Northern Ireland confirmed today (Monday) that they will join other other public sector workers in a walkout on January 18th.

Ballymena-based teacher Lynelle Fenton, who is President of the Ulster Teachers Union, said told Downtown Radio & Cool FM, t hey had no choice but to take such action.

"We are significantly lower paid than our counterparts in the rest of the UK and, yet, teachers in Northern Ireland provide amongst the best educational experiences for the children entrusted to our care," she said.

Jacquie White, General Secretary of the UTU, added that today they were officially informing their employers that they would be going on strike.

"Before Christmas we had already mooted this but unfortunately during the interim there has been no last minute resolution to our pay and conditions dispute," she said.

UTU, alongside the four other main teaching unions in Northern Ireland, has therefore been left with no option but to formally inform our employers of our decision.

“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."

Meanwhile, Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland, urged politicians to get back to Stormont.

“Those in Northern Ireland who are blocking the restoration of the Executive need to wake up to the calls of public sector workers who are struggling to make ends meet," he said.

"Issues affecting Northern Ireland from the outworking of the Protocol must be dealt with within the agreed structures of government."

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