EDUCATION WORKERS VOTED YES

The results are in. Thousands of UNISON members have voted to take strike action and action short of strike. More than 90% of you who voted have voted yes to both questions.

UNISON members working as Classroom Assistants, in catering and cleaning services, in transport and estates, in admin support teams across all Education Authority functions will combine together to deliver a strong message that you are no longer prepared to wait to have your issues resolved. The failure to adjust how the pay spine in that agreement is applied to the EA has come into sharp focus. The collapse of pay differentials (no longer reflecting levels of responsibility and the length of service require for each level to reach the top rate) have been challenged for some years now.

The employer (the EA who submitted a business case to DE for additional funding) has delayed any negotiations with its staff. The Department has gone silent and point to their budget allocation from the Secretary of State. His budget has squeezed education services to an intolerable level. Pupils, your families and workers are bearing the brunt of cuts.

As Northern Ireland education services unions await the outcome of the 2023 negotiations on the UK applied NJC pay uplift, the failure to adjust how the pay spine in that agreement is applied to the EA has come into sharp focus. The collapse of pay differentials (no longer reflecting levels of responsibility and the length of service require for each level to reach the top rate) have been challenged for some years now.  You are demanding negotiations to win pay justice.

You have also declared your intention to fight any threats to jobs and resist further cuts. Your regional officials and branch officers will now meet to draw up action plans in line with the mandate you have given us. These will be communicated to all workplace reps and members in the coming days.

In the meantime, stay strong!

You have spoken, those in charge should listen!

Prepare for Action!