Landmark Deal Reached: Northern Ireland Teachers Accept 5.5% Pay Rise

Stormont's Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed a decision by the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) to accept a 5.5% pay offer for teachers. The pay settlement was agreed by the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC), which represents the teaching unions in negotiations with management, and will bring to an end the ongoing industrial action.

Teacher Concerns Addressed

Teachersrejected an initial offer in February– a move that appeared less about the proposed pay rise and more about concerns over workload. A new offer was tabled by the management side of negotiations last month that included what was described as an enhanced package of commitments around reducing workload. Despite that, teachers again rejected the proposed package.

Pay Increase Details

It's anticipated that the pay increase will be applied to mostteachersin May and a full-time teacher on the starting salary would receive £1,237.50 in back pay (before statutory deductions) for the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 May 2025. It means a full-time teacher on Upper Pay Scale Point 3 would receive £1,913.25 in back pay (before statutory deductions) for the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 May 2025.

Education MinisterPaul Givan said: “Intensive work had taken place to find the funding from within the 2024/25 education budget to enable us to offer a 5.5% pay increase. I am pleased that the five trade unions which make up the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council have now formally accepted this on behalf of their members. “The pay settlement will see the starting salary for graduate teachers increasing to £31,650. This is an increase of £1,650 over the year and it follows on from the teachers’ pay settlement in April 2024 which saw the starting salary for teachers raised by almost 25%.

Focus on Teacher Well-being

Acknowledging the workload concerns that have been raised by teachers and school leaders,Mr Givanadded: “Constructive negotiations have taken place with trade unions and I have listened to their concerns about workload. I want to make meaningful progress on the issues to ensure that teachers have the time and space to focus on what matters most – teaching, learning and supporting pupils in the classroom.