The Education Minister has issued a warning to teachers that any pay offer made in the next few weeks will have to be within the limits of public sector pay policy – and that means being affordable for his Department.
Taking questions on the current negotiations at Stormont, Paul Givan informed MLAs that talks are continuing between management and unions, but said they were proving “difficult” due to the financial constraints in his department.
Teachers had been due to begin industrial action short of striking two weeks ago, but that was called off at the last minute by unions, with the minister promising to bring an offer to the table within a month.
There are now less than two and half weeks remaining for that offer to materialise.
Unions have been asking for a settlement for the current year well above what was agreed in England and Wales last year.
Mr Givan had told the Assembly previously that “it is simply impossible if members believe that this department can deliver a 13.5% pay rise this year”.
In the Assembly chamber on Tuesday he addressed the current talks, saying: “Through the teachers’ negotiating committee, a joint pay group is operational and meetings are taking place between employers, sectoral bodies and teaching unions to explain and update unions on the current financial pressures in education and to discuss the current play claim from the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council.
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“The NITC pay claim was substantially higher that what was recommended by the UK Government and accepted by teachers in England,” he added. The deal agreed in England and Wales was for a 5.5% rise.
“In line with the requirements of public sector pay policy any proposals for a teacher’s pay award must be affordable and this is proving difficult to resolve given the pressures that already face the education budget.
“Four of the five unions in the NITC balloted members for industrial action and action short of strike, which was due to commence last Monday (January 13).
“I have provided information assuring them I am committed to finding funding to make a formal offer in the context of the agreement reached last summer in England and Wales and on the understanding that we secure agreement to a sustained period of stability free from industrial action, including action short of strike, in our schools.
“As a result, the four trade unions agreed to suspend their industrial action for a four week period to allow for further discussion aimed at finalising ongoing pay negotiations.
“In settling three years of dispute last year we increased teacher starting salaries from £23,000 a year to £30,000,” the Minister continued.
“We increased teacher pay by double digits in terms of the figures and there was a back-dated payment for that.
“We also resolved the industrial dispute for support staff through the pay and grading review and that resulted in significant increases in pay for all support staff.
“What we are now trying to resolve is the pay claim for the current year and I am engaging in that in good faith to get a resolution. I have outlined the parameters upon which we need to reach agreement on that.”
The minister also informed MLAs that a timetabled implementation to resolve issues over teacher workloads, as agreed with unions, is continuing to be implemented with the positive effects of that to be seen in the short to medium term.
Any pay offer brought forward by the minister will be taken back to members by the teaching unions.
However, many members have indicated frustration at the recent last minute suspension of industrial action, a decision which they feel was made by unions without consultation of members who had voted overwhelmingly in favour of it in a bid to strengthen their hand.
News Catch Up – Tuesday 21 January