One of the three teaching unions in dispute with the government over pay and conditions says it will not be disrupting students’ education.

The acting general secretary of the NASUWT, Chris Keates, said the action they chose, industrial action short of striking, ’is designed to be pupil and parent friendly’.

The NASWUT, National Association of Head Teachers and Association of School and College Leaders unions are in dispute over successive pay awards, which they say have continued the significant erosion of teachers’ pay which has declined by over one third, in real terms, since 2010.

strike

Ms Keates added: ’During the action short of strike action, pupils will continue to be taught as normal.

’The action will target activities which are unnecessarily driving up teachers’ workloads and which are diverting them from focusing on their core role of teaching and managing pupils’ learning.

’We hope pupils and parents will support the action we are taking and recognise the need for teachers to have pay and working conditions which enable them to provide high-quality education for all pupils.

’Since 2010, teachers and school leaders have year after year faced the erosion of their pay, amounting to real-terms pay cuts of a third. This is jeopardising the recruitment and retention of teachers.’

In schools across the island, 94% of members of the three unions who took part in a ballot voted in favour of strike action and 98% voted in favour of industrial action short of strike action.

From Monday, February 24, members of all three unions will work to contracted hours, but not supervise lunch time or after-school clubs, including revision sessions.

Other industrial action being taken includes non-attendance at senior leaders’ meetings or engagement with the appraisal policy for staff. There will also be no engagement with the school self review and evaluation process.

School leaders are also refusing to implement or comply with the parent pay policy and surveys, sign off pay control listings or engage with DESC directed in-service days.