Teaching staff on strike today at Foyle College in Derry
Four teaching unions are taking part in a half-day’s strike in a pay dispute.
Health and public service unions, Unite, Unison, Nipsa and GMB, are also on strike over a pay rise row.
Teachers, nurses, ambulance and hospital staff are on strike.
The majority of schools across the North of Ireland will be closed until midday.
The four teaching unions involved are the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT); the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO); the Ulster Teachers Union (UTU) and the National Education Union (NEU).
The NASUWT is calling for a 12 per cent rise in salaries, following deadlock over a pay deal for the past year.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said teachers had been left with no choice.
“Our members are not prepared to stand by while their pay packets shrink and their living costs rise,” he said.
“The Department of Education and employers must bring forward a substantially improved pay offer if they want to see an end to this dispute.”
Nipsa’s Pádraig Mulholland said the combined action of healthcare and teaching staff was a warning to employers.
“We must have inflation-busting pay rises for all health service workers and an end to the chronic understaffing that puts lives at risk,” he said.
The Department of Health says the strike will impact on patient care.
Altnagelvin hospital worker and People Before Profit Councillor Maeve O’Neill on strike today
“This a national dispute which is only resolvable at national level.
“Northern Ireland has a policy of pay parity with England HSC workers covered by the Agenda for Change framework,” the department said.
“Given that policy position, the absence of ministers and current budgetary realities, there is no scope for a resolution at local level.”
Tags: