News

Figures obtained by UNISON from the Education Authority (EA), show that around 68% of the total classroom assistant workforce working in EA schools are on temporary contracts. Of the 21,815 classroom assistants (including nursery assistants), 14,930 are on temporary contracts. Of those on temporary contracts, 2,727 have been employed by the EA in the same post for more than 4 years.

UNISON stands in solidarity with the workers and activists in a wide range of Irish language and cultural organisations, including our own members, taking action today over cuts in funding to the cross border body Foras Na Gaeilge. Neither the Irish Government nor the NI Executive can sidestep their responsibilities for delivering on this core commitment in the Peace Agreement. In respect of the NI Executive the time for the partisan use of 'blocking' tactics on funding and other decisions has to be called out once and for all.

UNISON has today received confirmation from the Health Minister that he has approved payment of the full 12 months of the Agenda for Change pay award from 1^st April 2024.

This follows commitments made by the Health Minister in December 2024 that pay parity for Agenda for Change would be maintained for 2024/25, with a 5.5% uplift to be put in place.

Health Trade Unions have received formal commitment from the Minister and in a Department of Health memorandum that pay parity in AFC pay bands will be maintained for the full year 2024/2025.

Implementation of the Pay Review Body Pay award of 5.5% will now be prepared. The Minister has advised that he will immediately provide funding for the cost of 10 months and has plans to secure funding for the balance of 2 months in the January monitoring round.

During a series of meetings unions were provided details of the intense pressures on the Northern Ireland Executive budget.