Teachers in Northern Ireland have rejected an offer on pay and workload, which would have provided a 2% rise in salary and an additional day off each year. The NASUWT and INTO unions, representing the majority of teachers, recommended on Friday that members boycott all “pastoral care” and administrative tasks on 31 October, with the potential of further, more wide-scale, action at a later date. Members voted against the offered deal despite recommendations that it be accepted from Head Teachers and other unions.
Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and the impact of budget cuts are among the issues making increasing demands on teachers. Local media reports that there has been a “significant increase” in the number of SEN pupils since 2012, adding to the workload of an increasingly impoverished system.
There were a reported 4000 fewer teachers in the country this year compared with 2010, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. As one of the lowest paid teachers in Europe, a more generous offer was called for by unions to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis affecting the region.
As negotiations continue, the various trade unions are set to meet individually with the management to discuss their wage claims and workload issues
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