Teachers’ strike: Action short of strike ‘corrosive’

Teachers’ action short of strike “causes harm and shouldn’t be supported”, Stormont’s education minister has said.

Paul Givan was speaking as teachers resumed the industrial action on Monday after a majority rejected a 5.5% pay offer for 2024/25.

The minister told the Northern Ireland Assembly he was “disappointed” the offer was not accepted.

He urged trade unions to reflect on how a “more positive outcome” could be achieved “as soon as possible”.

“The unions are indicating that they need time to reflect on the outworkings of the process that they had,” he said.

“I would hope that we can reach a conclusion as soon as possible on this, because what was secured at 5.5%, everyone has recognised is significant.”

Unions have said the rejection of the offer may have been influenced by misinformation on social media.

Teaching unions had suspended action short of strike during negotiations, but resumed the plans on Monday.

Givan told members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) on Tuesday that he understood “workload is an issue” for many teachers.

“I absolutely understand the frustrations that teachers have that they are being bogged down in bureaucracy and being distracted from being able to do what they want to do around education,” he said.

“I am up very much for trying to deal with all of that.”

He added: “I would appeal to the trade unions, come forward with how you feel, you need to take this deal away again to your members in order to get a more positive outcome, because what is on the table is significant in terms of pay.”

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister also raised concerns over a further period of action short of strike.

“Members just need to look at the corrosive impact it has had on our school system over many years,” he said.

“We need that period of industrial stability.”

Earlier during questions for the minister, he told MLAs that “action short of strike causes harm and shouldn’t be supported”.