Warnings of further strike action from school staff as fears grow over Stormont financial package

Parents of children with special educational needs protest at Hillsborough Castle in January

Unions have warned that further strike action is a ‘certainty’ if school support staff who look after children with special educational needs are not offered a pay rise as part of a £688million package from Stormont.

The Executive’s Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald announced the package last week following the British government’s £3.3billion deal to coax political parties here back to Stormont.

However, Unite the Union, who represent education workers such as classroom assistants, bus drivers and school admin staff, says it has written to the Finance Minister amid fears that they may not be included as part of the multi-million payout to public sector workers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham says the school support staff have been battling for a wage increase for six years, and a further snub would be a ‘slap in the face’.

Graham said: “School support workers were hopeful that the new Stormont executive would progress the long delayed pay and grading review but after weeks of uncertainty there are now growing fears that the funding needed has not been allocated.

“We need immediate clarity from the finance minister on whether she has provided anything to resolve the dispute of school support staff.

“If she has not, it will be a slap in the face for education workers; many of whom have onerous responsibilities for the care of SEN children. Once again, they will be left with no alternative but to return to the picket lines to secure fair pay, respect and to defend a vital public service.”

A breakdown of the £688 million package for public sector pay awards in Northern Ireland was published by the Stormont finance ministry last week.

The Department of Education is to receive the second highest amount to settle public sector pay disputes after Health, with just under £300million to be made available to Education Minister Paul Givan.

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