10th January 2025
INTO wrote to all members on the 6 January to announce the commencement of action short of strike action on Monday 13 January. INTO took this action because of the failure by the Minister and employers to bring forward a satisfactory pay increase for the 2024/25 academic year.
INTO and sister unions have been engaging with the employers to seek a resolution which ensures that members receive an acceptable pay offer. To that end we have impressed on the employers that our members are not prepared to accept an offer that does not reflect at least the uplift given to teachers in England and Wales.
In response to pressure from the unions, the Minister has committed to securing the funding to make a formal pay offer in the context of the agreements reached in the summer of last year in England and Wales.
Considering this and the positive engagement at the pay talks all unions have agreed to suspend the implementation of action short of strike action for a period of four weeks in an effort to successfully conclude negotiations. We have not taken this step lightly and are fully prepared to reissue industrial action notices if required at the end of the four-week period.
In his statement the Minister refers to securing agreement on a sustained period of stability free from industrial action. It is the position of INTO that any negotiations must include the employers properly addressing the workload concerns of our members.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Best Regards
Mark McTaggart
Northern Secretary