PRESS RELEASE: EDUCATION TRADE UNIONS PREPARING FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION
A PRESS RELEASE FROM UNISON, NIPSA, UNITE AND GMB JOINT TRADE UNIONS
Today trade unions met with the Minister for Education, Paul Givan, to discuss the Pay and Grading Review for non-teaching education workers. Following the meeting, the trade unions have agreed to commence preparations for further industrial action.
The Minister indicated his continuing support for the Pay and Grading Review arrangements and stated that he is seeking funding from the NI Assembly Executive to fully implement it. He expressed concern, however, that sufficient funding would not be made available in this year’s Assembly budget.
The Pay and Grading Review is designed to address long standing pay issues that impact on all non-teaching staff in education in Northern Ireland. It was one of the issues that led to waves of strike action taken by trade unions before the return of the NI Assembly. Whilst the Assembly has addressed the outstanding pay issues in other areas of the public sector, workers in education are facing the prospect of being passed over once again. This mainly female workforce is based in every community, village, town and city in Northern Ireland. They are employed across all schools and Education Authority buildings and their work is accepted as crucial to the delivery of education services to children.
Trade unions recognise that the budget is likely to be finalised in the next few weeks and are calling on all the political parties in the NI Assembly Executive, to fully support the implementation of the Pay and Grading Review which has been agreed between the employers and the trade unions.
The Joint Trade Unions stated:
“Trade unions are disappointed that even at this late stage, the issue of the Pay and Grading Review has not been resolved. It is intolerable that the voice of education workers has not been heard. With that in mind we are taking steps to review and strengthen our current Action Short of Strike Action and, in addition, discussions will take place about escalating strike action.”