NITC rejects 5.5% teachers’ pay offer

The Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) has rejected a 5.5% teachers’ pay offer for a second time. The latest offer included a 5.5% cost of living award for all teachers from 1 September 2024, a 5.5% increase on Teaching and Special Needs allowances, a commitment to jointly deliver over 25 measures to address workload concerns as well as commitment that future pay offers would be made by no later than January of the same financial year. Following the decision, the Management Side of the Teachers' Negotiating Committee has expressed disappointment that the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) has rejected a pay offer for a second time. The rejected pay offer was at a full year cost of £83m and followed on from the teachers’ pay offer agreed in April 2024 which saw the starting salary for teachers raised by almost 25% and other teachers pay by 12.5% at a cost of £170m a year. The pay award would have seen a starting teacher earn £31,650 and a teacher at the top of the upper pay scale receive £48,919. The latest pay offer followed intensive dialogue between Management Side and the NITC after the rejection of an initial offer in January. Robbie McGreevy, vice chair of Management Side, said: “We are extremely disappointed that despite presenting a fair and comprehensive package, and responding to the issues raised by Trade Unions during the negotiations, the NITC has rejected this offer. This means not only will the substantial pay increase for teachers not be progressed, but our joint commitment to address workload concerns through 25 agreed measures also cannot move forward. “Our primary concern is ensuring pupils can learn in an environment free from disruption and teachers receive fair pay. The offer was made at the absolute limits of affordability, against an extremely challenging financial background, and is comparable to pay offers accepted by other public sector workers and teachers elsewhere. Continued industrial action will inevitably have serious implications for children's education.” Management Side has urged the NITC to suspend industrial action and to outline how this dispute can be brought to an end. McGreevy added: “We cannot accept a situation where teachers are not fulfilling their full contractual duties. Industrial action should not become common practice and only ever be a last resort.” John Trueman, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Northern Ireland, said: “It is obviously very disappointing that the latest formal pay offer of 5.5% has again been rejected. It is clear that workload remains teachers’ biggest concern, and this has been reflected in this response from the NITC. “We welcome the sentiments expressed by other unions in their willingness to find a resolution to this matter; however, we would urge both the NITC and Management Side to work quickly to do so.”