The call is a stirring one for living wages amidst 800 Unite members who are bus drivers, classroom assistants, cooks as well as clerical staff of Northern Ireland. This has highlighted how the support staff in schools are taken for granted and feel pushed out of the way by their fellow teachers.
Organizing for Fair Wage Strikes in Budgetary Times
One of the participants of the strike was Mathew Kirkpatrick, a classroom assistant, that voiced the discontent of the underpaid staff. Workers, in the meantime, have to deal with higher expenses than their salaries since the Department of Education does not have enough funds to finance proposed pay rises.
Another classroom assistant, Victoria Brown, talked about the hard decision of striking highlighting how routine based kids are and putting herself into the parent’s shoes as they encounter disruptions.
Heart of the Matter – Broken Promises and Economic Problems
General Secretary, Sharon Graham condemned the Department Educations for being obstructive as they still refuse to honour what was agreed upon regarding the pay and grading review. The union urges immediate steps by the education Authority to provide needed financial support or face escalated incidences.
A revealing irony was raised by Desmond Milne, a senior driver under special needs transport service provided for education authority. The fact that these special needs drivers are among the lowest paid while they should be considered as the most qualified in their specialty.
Impact on Schools and Services
One of the largest strikes by non-teaching unions this year has caused closure of at least four special schools with adverse effects on students. Translink school services remain unaffected. The Education Authority expected these processes to limit substantial interruptions on its part before further engagements with the unions to legitimize or compensate for intended salary increment.
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