Schools to be heavily disrupted as Unite announces a 48-hour strike

Schools across County Derry are set to encounter disruption next week as some members of staff go on strike, Unite the Union has confirmed.

School bus transport, catering, admin, cleaning staff and classroom assistants will commence 48-hour strike action, starting at midnight on November 15.

The strike follows a dispute over employers' failure to negotiate salaries and regrading review which led workers to start work-to-rule on October 23.

Without the educational support staff, schools will be heavily impacted and some may have to close.

According to Unite the Union, the majority of their members are bus drivers and will be on strike both days which will strongly affect schools.

“It is simply unacceptable that the Department of Education continues to renege on the implementation of a pay and grading review that has been negotiated by the Education Authority with Unite,” said Sharon Graham, the Union's general secretary.

Other Educational Authority support staff trade unions will join the strike on the second day, November 16, including Unison, GMB and NIPSA.

NIPSA has over 8,000 members and planned to reinforced its industrial action from November 13.

“There is an anger amongst Education Workers who feel that the true value of their contribution to the delivery of education has been ignored for too long,” said Alan Law, NIPSA Assistant Secretary. “They resent being ignored. They are right to feel angry.”

Unite the Union is asking for the necessary funding from the Department of Education to avoid any further actions.

“As a matter of urgency, the Education Authority must secure the necessary funding to avoid further escalation of strike action in Northern Ireland’s education sector,” said Sharon Graham.

"Months later and we are still waiting,” said Kiean Ellison, Unite Regional Officer. “It is high time that we see a pay and grading review delivered to education workers to tackle the retention issues and bring to an end the strike action.”

During a government meeting on October 26 to discuss the current pressure on the Northern Irish education system, Dr Mark Brown, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education said: “I remain extremely conscious of the significant challenges facing the education system in terms of the current financial situation, ongoing industrial action, inadequate school estate funding and rising numbers of pupils with Special Educational Needs.”