Teacher unions to start action short of strike over workload pressures

Teachers in Northern Ireland will take industrial action short of a strike as part of a dispute over what they describe as "unsuitable workloads".

The NI Teachers Council, which represent the five teaching unions in Northern Ireland, said the action will be begin next Monday, 28 September.

It added it was not able to secure a resolution to reduce workload for teachers and school leaders.

Education Minister Paul Givan has urged the teaching unions to continue in negotiations and reconsider their decision.

Northern Ireland's largest teaching union, the NASUWT, said management "failed to offer any meaningful period of calm" in schools, which would have given teachers more space to plan and implement agreed workload reductions.

Dr Graham Gault, national secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT NI), who represent the majority of school leaders in Northern Ireland, said members reached the point where "they can no longer continue working in conditions that are unsafe, unsustainable and professionally indefensible".

"Unfortunately, despite every opportunity being afforded to them, employers and the department have been unable to produce a package capable of addressing the crisis facing school leadership."

Paul Givan, howver, said that while "further work is required on a small number of issues", he believed there was "scope" to reach a deal.

The unions taking part in the action are the NASUWT, the Ulster Teacher's Union (UTU), the NAHT, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and the National Education Union (NEU).