School leaders’ union NAHT has today called for negotiations on pay to restart in earnest, following a vote to reject the offer from the Department of Education.

56% of NAHT members in Northern Ireland voted to turn down the offer in a secret ballot which closed at 5pm yesterday (15/02/22).

Graham Gault, Interim Director for NAHT NI, said, “Having endured cumulative real-terms pay decreases worth 17% over the last decade, school leaders have made their opinions on the Department’s recent pay offer clear through our democratic processes. A basic cost-of-living increase for teachers and school leaders was requested through the NITC , but DE’s offer has fallen well short in the minds of our membership.

“At a meeting with the employing authorities this afternoon, NAHT made it clear that we are seeking commitment from all parties to re-engage in negotiation, pursuant to a fair settlement for school leaders. We believe that genuine attempts to resolve this issue can result in an acceptable settlement and are determined to do all that we can, as a trade union, to exhaust all avenues open to us in order to avoid any escalation to a formal pay dispute."

Rob Kelsall, NAHT National Secretary, said: “Members have said in a clear, united voice that they want to see a fair settlement. The offer fell well below our original claim for investment into the profession and doesn’t address the immediate and unprecedented workload demands that has been placed on teachers as a result of the ongoing global pandemic.

“The future of Northern Ireland’s economy lies with the quality of our education system and the level of investment in those who lead schools and teach our children. Education is an investment, not only in our children’s life chances, but in all our futures.

“We hope to reopen negotiations so that we can secure additional investment from the Treasury to invest in Northern Ireland’s future.”