Teacher members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for teachers in Northern Ireland. Teachers had been offered 5.5% but the offer also sought to address other matters.

78% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with 5734 teachers participating in the survey.

NASUWT members will now commence action short of strike in schools from Monday 10 February.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

“Northern Ireland’s teachers are angry that they have had to wait significantly longer than teachers elsewhere in the UK for a pay offer.

“Members rightly expected a pay offer without any strings but the information which management side insisted on appending to the offer has caused confusion and led directly to this situation.

“NASUWT members should have had a straightforward offer on pay to consider without other conditions attached.”

Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official, said:

“NASUWT members have sent a strong message that they want a pay offer, free from other distractions.

“The decision by Management Side to restate teacher working hours and conditions of employment was interpreted by many teachers as a signal that their employers do not believe that they are currently fulfilling their contractual obligations. This was both unnecessary and insulting to hard-working teachers.

“It is also obvious from member feedback that many members interpreted the section on industrial peace as limiting the future right of teachers to take industrial action. There are no circumstances where the NASUWT would ever limit the right of members to take industrial action.”