Tag: Education Authority
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Northern Ireland SEN cuts threatened due to costs
Unite will ballot workers at the Education authority in response to plans to cut the terms and conditions of school support workers. In a further development, cost-cutting proposals have been made for a wider review of the system of SEN education to make it “financially sustainable”. This will impact the jobs and pay of school…
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Concerns for child safety in Northern Ireland with hundreds of education posts filled without safety checks
Minister must act to end widespread abuse of temporary engagement forms to avoid formal recruitment processes Unite has expressed deeps concerns for child safety in Northern Ireland after a freedom of information (FOI) response confirmed that 353 staff positions had been filled without Access NI checks in place. The numbers remains high despite a public…
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School support staff still on temporary engagement forms despite ministerial commitment to end practice
Union calls for use of temporary engagement forms in Northen Ireland to be restricted and all school staff working temporary for four years to automatically made permanent Unite has revealed statistics showing that 1,315 school transport and catering workers continue to be engaged on temporary forms by the education authority. Of that number, 267 have worked for…
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Union launches drive for school support staff to secure permanent jobs
Action follows commitment from Northern Ireland education minister Paul Givan that he will ask education authority to process requests for permanent contracts “as quickly as possible” Unite is encouraging all its school support workers working on a temporary engagement forms for more than four years to formally request a permanent employment contract. Unite’s drive follows receipt of communication from…
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Northern Ireland SEN schools’ preference for temporary classroom assistants is risking child safety
Candidates holding essential criteria for the post of classroom assistant are being overlooked with positions being filled by unqualified workers on temporary engagement forms Unite has expressed serious concerns about a race-to-the-bottom on classroom assistant positions at special educational needs (SEN) schools in Northern Ireland. The union submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 39…
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Unite the union workplace reps vote to call off strike action scheduled for tomorrow
Decision comes after ‘meaningful’ progress made in talks between the four education trade unions and the employer side Unite the union workplace reps met this afternoon and voted overwhelmingly to call off scheduled strike action tomorrow [Tuesday June 4] following receipt of an opening draft offer for workers from the Education Authority and Department of…