Members within the education sector have expressed “disappointment and anger” after being informed by education minister Paul Givan that the Stormont Executive has adopted a budget which “fails to provide the funding needed for the long awaited” review for school support staff.
The union says it comes despite the Department of Finance previously accepting the Department of Education’s business case for such a review.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is disgraceful that low paid education workers are being told that there’s no money to fund a pay and grading review needed to deliver pay equality – six years after the NJC instructed it to be delivered.
“The Stormont Executive must prioritise funds for education workers. Low pay is resulting in a staffing crisis which is leaving vulnerable children, at risk of being denied an education. Our education authority workers can count on the full and continued support of Unite in their fight to win pay equality and respect.”
The national joint committee, the body which sets pay for education workers in Northern Ireland, first instructed the pay and grading review should be delivered in 2018 in order to address equality and low pay concerns.
Union members employed by the Education Authority as classroom assistants, bus drivers, bus escorts, catering, admins and in other school support roles have taken strike action on numerous occasions over the last two years.
Unite said pay rates in 2023-24 for workers who provide personal care to special educational needs children, including on occasion having to conduct medical and life-saving procedures, can be as low as £11.92 an hour.
Regional officer for the workforce Kieran Ellison described the budget as “a huge disappointment”.
“It seems that there is money for other issues but when it comes to workers and children’s education – it’s not a priority.
“This review should have been delivered six years ago.
“There’s widespread anger among our members; Unite will be urgently engaging with the other education unions to bring forward wider industrial action. Those in authority need to start listening to avoid a wave of action across schools and education transport.”
The Stormont Executive is to meet with the UK Treasury in the coming weeks after agreeing a “difficult” budget today.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the meeting was the “next battlefield” for the Executive, who again dismissed the Northern Ireland Office’s insistence on revenue-raising measures.
“The British Government have said and the Treasury accepted before Christmas that we are funded below need,” said Ms O’Neill.
“Therefore the logical outworking of that argument is then to fund us according to need, and that’s not the case.
“The Finance Minister has already started that conversation and there have been a number of discussions to date with the Treasury.
“We want to be in the Treasury again as quickly as possible; there is some indication that perhaps we will have that meeting in the coming days.
“Now that we have got to this juncture, that the budget has been set, we want to get into the in-depth, nitty gritting of planning for the next step.
“It might be a battle a day, but it’s a battle I’m determined to fight for good public services and for the public that we represent.”
The budget passed despite the opposition of Health Minister Robin Swann, who voted against the proposal.
SDLP leader of the opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has said the budget fails to deliver meaningful change for people in Northern Ireland and warned it is “clear” that “the Executive has no idea what their priorities are”.
“We have heard plenty of warm and fuzzy motions from the Executive parties since the Stormont institutions returned over two months ago, and while they were all very quick to claim credit for these meaningless proposals and produce glossy videos and graphics, it is clear today that when it comes to actually delivering for people they are found utterly wanting,” he said.
“We knew that Northern Ireland is facing a tough budget settlement and the blame for that doesn’t lie solely at the feet of the Executive, but what was produced today shows no clarity around what the Executive’s priorities actually are and it is apparent they have no plan whatsoever for how we will rescue our failing public services.
“Nobody expected a miracle overnight, but people in the North were hopeful that the return of the institutions would mean starting to deal with the issues facing families here.”
The South Belfast MLA said the budget will do nothing to deal with the cost of living, childcare and hospital waiting list concerns.
“The North is caught in the middle of an Executive that has no plan and a disintegrating British government that does not care for the problems facing people here,” he added.
“The SDLP Opposition has been clear that we need to re-examine the way the North is funded from Westminster and reach a fairer settlement, but this cannot be a constant excuse for the Executive to hide behind when it comes to making difficult decisions and delivering on the things that matter.”