Department of Education statement as union warns school support staff could strike during exams

Education officials say they hope school support staff will refrain from an escalation of industrial action during the summer exam period, warning that it "would have a significant detrimental impact on children and young people in Northern Ireland”.

It comes as school pupils could face disruption during the upcoming exam period due to strike action if an improved pay offer is not addressed by Stormont.

Classroom assistants, school bus drivers and other education support staff could go on strike during the summer exams, a union has warned.

READ MORE: Strike action risk during NI school exams over 'Stormont budget failure'

READ MORE: Three special schools to get new builds and 'up to eight' more could be built

Officials and workforce reps from the Unite union have begun coordinating an industrial response as they say the Stormont budget fails to provide anything for low paid education workers.

Unite said “there’s a mounting risk” that its members could take industrial action over the coming months as pupils across Northern Ireland begin to sit formal examinations. The union has called on the four education unions to “stand and strike together for improved pay”.

It said a pay and grading review that the Department for Education (DE) was instructed to implement to tackle low pay and inequalities in 2018 is set to remain unfunded for a seventh year, threatening an even worse staffing crisis in the sector.

Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald said Stormont's budget failed the overwhelmingly female school support workforce and it failed children.

The budget was agreed following a lengthy Executive meeting last week, although Health Minister Robin Swann voted against it while the Alliance Party has also been critical.

Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald has said no Stormont ministers have received the funding they asked for in the budget, which covers the 2024/25 financial year.

Education has received almost a fifth of the resource funding, receiving £2.87billion, an increase of 11.5% from the previous financial year.

A DE spokesperson said: “The budget was set under very challenging financial circumstances where the funding available did not allow the Executive to make a specific allocation to the Department of Education for the costs of the Pay & Grading Review for support staff.

“We fully understand the disappointment and frustration among support staff in relation to this position. However, the Education Minister remains committed to addressing this issue and will be working collectively with the Finance Minister to find a resolution for education support workers.

“Recognising the importance of these workers, some of whom are amongst the lowest paid in the sector, the Executive has agreed to seek approval from the Treasury to reprofile some of the funding provided in the financial package for this purpose.

“We hope that education support staff will recognise the efforts being taken forward in this respect and will refrain from an escalation of industrial action which would have a significant detrimental impact on children and young people in Northern Ireland.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.