10th February 2023
After receiving a strong mandate for industrial action in furtherance of the current pay dispute, INTO members have been instructed to take strike action on the morning of Tuesday 21st February 2023. Members will make themselves available for work from 12pm onwards.
The INTO are requesting its members…
- To support their colleagues by not attending work during the hours of strike action.
- Make themselves available to attend organised pickets at school gates and/or local rallies in your area. (Placards / flags etc will be made available.)
- Members taking part in the strike are under no obligation to inform their principal of their intention to strike.
- School representatives should not inform their principal of the names of members in school.
- Not log on to school/C2k network before 12.00pm.
- Not to read or respond to any work-related emails during the strike period. Members can add an ‘I am on strike’ automatic reply to their email account.
- Not to set work for students.
- Members may have respectful conversations with colleagues who are not taking strike action not to cover classes or perform duties normally completed by those on strike.
- Members who decide not to take part in strike action should not perform duties other than those which they are normally required to do.
Principal members are advised to…
- Inform the Board of Governors/Employing Authority that they will not be on site until 12noon on 21 February 2023 in case they need to make practical arrangements for any staff not involved in industrial action.
- Seek advice from their Employing Authority in respect of how pupils are accommodated, the administration of reporting teacher attendance, and the possible need to conduct a Risk Assessment.
- Afford teachers and support staff who are not taking industrial action the ability to only carry out their normal duties.
- Liaise with the teacher union representatives in their school, but not to request the names of union members taking part in strike action.
Under Article 95 of the Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 attendance for the purpose of attending a picket line must…
- Be carried out by a person attending at or near his own place of work.
- Members should only attempt to persuade other teachers to join the strike in a peaceful, non-threatening manner.
- The school rep represents those picketing, should supervise the picket line making sure it does not cause obstruction of a path, road, entrance or exit to premises.
- The picket supervisor should carry a letter of authority, issued by the INTO, which should be made available to the police, if required to do so. This will be available on the website prior to the day of action.
- All persons deciding to cross a picket line must be allowed to do so.
Additional information can be found at the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website.