The management side of the Teachers' Negotiating Committee has rejected the latest pay deal for teachers in Northern Ireland, leading to an ongoing stalemate. The committee cited the proposal as "extremely disappointing" and highlighted a "breach" of their contract as reasons for their decision. This impasse comes after the majority of teachers' unions turned down an initial 5.5% pay rise, echoing their counterparts in England who received a similar increase for the 2024-25 academic year.
The proposed pay scales aim to raise the main pay scale to just under £40,000 and the upper pay scale to £46,368. The newest offer suggests salary scales, excluding allowances, would span from £31,650 to £48,919. However, implementing this deal would require an additional £83 million in annual funding. With the starting annual salary for a classroom teacher in Northern Ireland currently at £30,000, teaching unions have requested a 13.5% rise for 2024/25—a demand which Education Minister Paul Givan deemed "simply impossible."
Negotiations have been tense, with four teachers' unions—INTO, the UTU, the NEU, and NASUWT—suspending planned industrial action to facilitate talks. Despite these efforts, members of three main teaching unions voted overwhelmingly for strike action in December 2024 over the unresolved pay issue.
The Teachers' Negotiating Committee emphasized the need for both sides to "commit to a period free from industrial action" to foster productive dialogue. Meanwhile, the chair of Stormont's education committee expressed regret over the lack of progress, deeming it "very regrettable." He urged that language must "soften" to encourage parties back to the negotiation table.
