UNISON Northern Ireland

UPDATE FOR EDUCATION MEMBERS - PAY AND GRADING REVIEW

UNISON Northern Ireland education branches and pay campaign activists last night welcomed breaking news that the Education Authority has finally received approval for the opening of negotiations with the support service unions on a pay and grading review.

Along with the GMB and NIPSA, UNISON have been campaigning hard for some time to get movement on this review, which has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Assembly election. Our claims have been served and we will pursue the pay anomalies and restraints that have emerged here in the application of the NJC pay agreement, which covers Northern Ireland, England and Wales. The improvements we will seek are separate and additional from the application of the NJC 2021/22 uplift of 1.75%, which left thousands of workers deeply frustrated.

The omission of education workers from a Covid recognition award will also have to be addressed. We will shortly meet with the Department of Education and will be seeking assurances that a funding stream will be in place to sustain any agreements reached with the Education Authority.

UK unions are currently working on a claim for 2022/23 and will be demanding significantly more in a cost of living rise for all on the NJC pay framework.