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NAHT Northern Ireland

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NAHT Northern Ireland represents principals and vice-principals in around two-thirds of 1,150 schools in Northern Ireland. NAHT Northern Ireland provide advice, training and support for its members on a range of issues faced by senior leaders in schools. Along with our colleagues in England and Wales, we are there to defend and extend the rights of school leaders.  

NAHT NI is democratic and member-led, and supported by its Belfast-based team of staff alongside their colleagues based in both Wales and England.

NAHT Northern Ireland
Carnmoney House
Edgewater Office Park

Belfast
BT3 9JQ

nahtni@naht.org.uk
02890 776633 

School leaders to take further strike action in Northern Ireland

For only the second time in its 126 year history, members of school leaders’ union NAHT, in Northern Ireland, will strike over pay.

The first, unprecedented day of strike action took place in April 2023, but calls for resolution to the ongoing dispute were not met by employing authorities.

As a result, NAHT will join the teaching unions in further strike action on Wednesday 29 November.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT’s general secretary, said: “In every other jurisdiction in which NAHT operates, we have seen pay increases for the teaching profession.

"That teachers and school leaders in Northern Ireland, however, have had no increase in pay in over three years while colleagues elsewhere have is, frankly, unforgivable.

“The teaching profession in Northern Ireland is remarkably dedicated to the learning, development and safeguarding of children, and is currently operating in one of the most challenging and stressful contexts in the UK.

"In the last decade, teachers and school leaders have seen their pay eroded by almost 30%, in real terms, and have endured decimating reductions in the support, resources and funding that they need to fulfil their roles.

“It is imperative that those with the responsibility to resolve this dispute make immediate headway to that end, because the profession can endure the status quo no longer.

"We call on the government and the employers to make an acceptable offer to our members; an offer that is reflective of the pay settlements that have been made across the UK over the course of the last three years.”

Liam McGuckin, NAHT Northern Ireland’s president, said: “Taking strike action is, genuinely, the last resort for school leaders.

"This is a significant act of industrial action and protest at the failure of management side to make any offer to the teaching profession.

"The system is failing our schools, our workforce and, most importantly, our young people.

"We have had a year of dispute with no progress and have simply run out of patience.

"We need immediate investment, without which the profession that holds together much of the fabric of society will be irreparably damaged.

"NAHT members are not prepared to allow that to happen, and are taking significant action to force employers and politicians to open their eyes to the devastation that is happening on their watch. They must act.”

First published 20 November 2023

NAHT Northern Ireland events 2024

NAHT(NI) AGM

Our 2024 AGM takes place on Wednesday 23 October – find out more

 

 

 

 

Recent consultations and other documents

NITC joint letter to management side

The five teacher unions in Northern Ireland, including NAHT(NI), wrote to the employers seeking additional payment to school leaders and teaching staff who worked significant additional hours during summer 2021 in order to ensure this work was recognised.

 

Consultation on deferring school starting age: NAHT(NI) draft response

We are concerned at the advancement of this proposal as the evidential basis for this consultation is highly limited. We contend that the current proposal should be retracted. The proposal fails to reflect the experience of pupils, school leaders, parents and the whole school community. Given the significance of this potential policy change, it is essential that the perspectives of all stakeholders are considered. We know that members are operating in a business-critical environment and will have limited or no time to engage with consultation exercises, however, we encourage members to consider responding to this important consultation and copy our response to complete your individual response.

 

Previous consultation responses and statements

First published 08 April 2020
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