Some teachers are continuing to take action short of a strike in the ongoing dispute with the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) over pay, workload and working conditions.

NASUWT, which is one of the teaching unions in the island, announced six strike days in September last year.

Three of these strike days went ahead, with a recent FOI response revealing that more than 250 teachers took part in the initial two strike days in November and December.

For the two scheduled strike days in January, 218 teachers took strike action on the first day, with the second strike in January being called off.

The strikes in February were also suspended by the union following ‘productive talks’ with the DESC.

Whilst no more strike action has been announced by the union, action short of strike action by some teachers continues.

According to the NASUWT website, action short of strike action has been ongoing since late April last year.

This is where teachers withdraw from a range of activities which do not directly relate to teaching and learning including attending meetings and providing cover for absent colleagues.

One teacher told the Examiner previously: ‘Because we are not getting paid for it, one of our first actions was action short of strike action which means we no longer offer things like lunchtime clubs and after school activities.

‘I think that has had a really big effect on the students.’

A spokesperson for the NASUWT said: ‘Following the recent talks between the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and NASUWT, which led to the suspension of strike action by NASUWT members in February, a series of meetings have continued to take place.

‘We believe that these discussions are productive and will carry on as we continue to work together professionally and constructively to seek a mutually agreeable resolution to the ongoing trade dispute.

‘Whilst these discussions are ongoing, the action short of strike action being taken by NASUWT members remains in place.’

NASUWT is the only teaching union in the island that is still in negotiation with the DESC.

The union is calling for a multi-year fully funded pay offer that addresses the historic erosion of pay.

It says this would be part of a medium to long-term strategy for the sustainable delivery of high-quality education into the future.

The union believes that such a strategy must also address the chronic problems of excessive workload and working hours.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, previously told the Examiner: ‘Teachers are relying on food banks, financial support from the Salvation Army, or taking second jobs just to get by.’

The current pay offer that has been accepted by the four other teaching unions in the island, has seen every teacher and lecturer receiving between an 8% and 11.9% pay rise, with the base teacher salary starting at £36,000.