TEACHERS across Belfast – who are members of all five teaching unions – have been taking part in renewed strike action today against poor pay, increased workload and the latest round of education cuts.

Striking teachers have also been joined for the first time by members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), with schools closing across the North.

STRIKE: Teachers on strike outside St John the Baptist PS
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STRIKE: Teachers on strike outside St John the Baptist PS

Speaking to the Andersonstown News, teachers on the picket line said the dispute was not just over pay but also the future of education itself as teachers faced heavy workloads, pay not rising in line with inflation for over a decade – and crushing cuts to education budgets.

Outside St Anne’s Primary School and Rathmore Grammar School, teacher Catriona Mullan, said: “It’s not just pay, it’s every aspect of our job which is under threat. The cuts have taken away what little support we had such as the cuts to the ‘Engage’ programme which helped children with learning after the pandemic.

“Due to inflation – and not receiving pay rises – we’ve effectively been working two days for free a week. For someone with 30 years teaching experience that’s effectively £100,000 we’ve worked for but not received in wages and that’s also lost towards your pension as well. There’s also a discrepancy between teachers here and elsewhere [in the UK and the Republic]. We’re paid less but we still do the same work.”

Joining Catriona on strike was fellow teacher Bronagh Mallon who said colleagues were striking not only over pay but also for the education system itself which is being targeted with huge cuts.

“The cuts are unsustainable," she said "We’re seeing year on year how it’s impacting teachers and kids. We have to say this has to stop. We’re being asked to take £104million in cuts in education and it’s already been devastated over the last 12 years. As teachers we can’t stand by and let the education sector fall. 

“We have to do something about it. Yes we are striking for pay but we’re also striking for education and for our children. Throughout the pandemic, we worked through it all. We’ve always been there and the one thing you can always count on is teachers and education but we’ve been greatly undervalued for the work we do.”

STRIKE: Bronagh Mallon of INTO and Catriona Mullan of NASUWT outside St Anne's PS & Rathmore Grammar
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STRIKE: Bronagh Mallon of INTO and Catriona Mullan of NASUWT outside St Anne's PS & Rathmore Grammar

Martin Connolly, a teacher at Rathmore, said teachers in the North were the worst paid in Ireland and the UK and also criticised Tory austerity and the DUP for their continued boycott of Stormont.

“We’re now 13 years on from Tory austerity and it hasn’t stopped. Our school Rathmore hasn’t been as affected as other schools by cuts but teacher pay has been squashed in real terms. We’re the worst off teachers in these islands. If you look at the Irish Republic and compare pay you’ll see the differences in pay. We need to confront and reject Tory austerity once and for all and politicians – particularly the DUP – need to get back and do their job. They’re being paid for not doing their jobs.”

Outside St Louise’s Comprehensive College, teacher Eamonn McDowell said there had been real terms pay cuts for teachers but also the cuts to programmes and arms length educational bodies meant other services which support schools are suffering too.

“We’re out here because there’s been a 38 per cent cut in real terms pay for teachers over the last 13 years. We’re the worst paid teachers in these islands by a longshot. These cuts are taking programmes and food away from the poorest children and a lot of schools would have been relying on those programmes such as the breakfast clubs for children and catch-up classes for children after the pandemic. 

“I just don’t understand how the NI Office can justify hitting the poorest in our society and that’s what they’re doing with these cuts. With the cuts they have planned, education as we know it will not be the same and there are going to be major difficulties in schools and the arms length educational bodies are also experiencing cuts.

"Those cuts will affect services such as buses etc for children. Special needs programmes and schools have also been hit by massive cuts too and I don’t see how they can justify it.”

STRIKE: Eamonn McDowell of NASUWT (centre-right) and teachers on strike outside St Louise's
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STRIKE: Eamonn McDowell of NASUWT (centre-right) and teachers on strike outside St Louise's

Joining teachers on the picket line outside St Kevin’s Primary School, People Before Profit councillor Matt Collins said teachers had received poor pay offers and supported workers who were taking a stand against cuts to education and youth services.

“We’re very proud to stand here today with striking education workers and it’s a disgrace they’ve been forced back out on strike again. 

“We know there’s money there. We shouldn’t accept the Tory narrative there’s no money there for workers' pay packets during a cost of living crisis and we shouldn’t accept their narrative that there’s no money there to fund our youth provision and jobs for our community workers."