Formal pay offer made to teaching unions

A formal pay offer has been made to teaching unions in Northern Ireland.

Education Minister Paul Givan said he hopes the offer to bring to an end industrial action and stabilise the system.

His department said the proposed settlement will see the starting salary for teachers in Northern Ireland rise to £30,000, equating to a 24.3% increase from the current starting salary and brings the starting point equal to England.

They said the pay offer is a cumulative total of 10.4% plus £1,000 being applied to the other teachers’ and leadership pay scales.

Mr Givan said it was unacceptable that teachers have been waiting three years for a pay increase.

“I am pleased that there has been significant progress on the issue of the teachers’ pay with a formal offer being made to the teaching unions,” he said.

“This offer, which equates to a 24.3% pay rise for beginning teachers, will help both attract and retain the best teachers to our schools.

“It is unacceptable that teachers have been waiting three years for a pay increase. I have made it clear that my highest priority is to ensure that the teaching profession is paid at a rate which recognises the value of their profession.

“This is a positive step in that direction, and I commend the positive negotiations that have taken place within the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) which consists of management and the trade unions representing teachers and school leaders.”

The five teaching unions which make up the Northern Ireland Teaching Council (NITC) are set to consult with their members on the proposals.

Mr Givan said he urged teachers and school leaders to consider the formal offer, adding if accepted and implemented, it will “bring an end to all industrial action which has been ongoing since May 2022”.

He added: “The ending of the industrial action will create the opportunity to stabilise our education system and allow us to build upon this towards the delivery of world class education in Northern Ireland.”

In a statement, the NITC said the draft agreement contains a pay offer which “has the potential to bring a settlement to the ongoing pay dispute”.

It said the agreement would lead to a “significant increase to the starting salary for teachers and an uplift in teachers’ and school leaders pay from September 1 2023”.

“The constituent members of the NITC have agreed to consult members in the coming week, with a view to responding to the offer by March 26,” it added.