4th April 2025
Dear Members,
After the NITC rejected the management side pay award on the 28th of March, The Minister of Education invited the leads from NITC to a series of meetings during which further revisions and amendments to the offer have been negotiated.
The Minister is aware of the volume of workload issues affecting teachers and wants to find a constructive approach to addressing them. He has offered in addition an Independent Review of Workload to be concluded by November 2025. This has the full authority of the Minister and his office.
The INTO feels that this addition of an independent review covering all aspects of workload would be the best vehicle to address areas of concern. The review body will consist of a three-person independent panel including a nominated member from NITC and a member nominated by Management Side. This panel will not only review all aspects of workload but will also monitor the implementation of the Heads of Agreement commitments previously outlined in the Management Side Offer.
The Northern Committee and the Central Executive Committee of INTO have considered all options in relation to the revised offer from the Minister and the jeopardy around the rejection of the 5.5% pay offer backdated to September 2024 and have decided to accept the revised offer on behalf of the membership as set out in Rule 121, part e, within the INTO Rules and Constitution (2024).
Acceptance of the offer will result in an end to Action Short of Strike. We anticipate that this will be in effect as of 00:01 on Monday 7th April.
In the context of the ending of ASOS we would encourage schools to remain mindful of the following:
Members may have commitments such as child care arrangements in place. We would advise flexibility in the short term.
As with the previous action, work which is retrospective should not be requested or take place.
All five unions on NITC have accepted the offer and work will begin on the outworkings of this offer next week.
Yours sincerely,
John Boyle
General Secretary
Carmel Browne
President
Mark McTaggart
Northern Secretary
Geraldine McGowan
Northern Committee Chairperson