Sinn Fein Minister to cut pay of classroom assistants

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Friday June 22, 2007 00:50 by Jolly Red Giant - Scoialist Party/CWI

Classroom assistants across Northern Ireland are preparing for industrial action to defend their pay.

Their employers, the Education and Library Boards acting under the direction of Education Minister Catriona Ruane, are proposing to cut their pay by as much as 79p an hour. The insulting move comes at the end of years of negotiation by the main trade unions representing Classroom Assistants, NIPSA and UNISON.

Unfortunately the negotiating process has delivered nothing. In fact it would be fair to say that over the last few years the position of the Classroom Assistants has become a lot worse. The issue has reached the point where Classroom Assistants have no other choice than to fight.

To force the employers to return to the table with a serious offer the unions must make it clear that they intend taking serious action; a one-day strike would have no effect. What is required is extended action that gives the employers no way out. A properly organised strike will have serious repercussions in almost every school in Northern Ireland.

With up to 7,000 Assistants involved, schools would close for weeks. This action can force the employers to make a real offer and engage in meaningful negotiations. The summer months give a window of opportunity to prepare for a major strike by putting an effective organisation in place, linking unions, developing strike committees and strengthening the leadership of the union.