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| Social media blamed for teachers rejecting pay offer | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Unions had carried out a short consultation with teachers on the offer | |
| A number of teaching unions have said the rejection of the latest pay offer for teachers may have been influenced by misinformation on social media. | A number of teaching unions have said the rejection of the latest pay offer for teachers may have been influenced by misinformation on social media. |
| Teachers rejected a 5.5% pay deal on Thursday and are due to begin action short of a strike. | Teachers rejected a 5.5% pay deal on Thursday and are due to begin action short of a strike. |
| The offer said teachers should "commit to a period free from industrial action" leading to speculation they would be waiving their right to strike in future. | The offer said teachers should "commit to a period free from industrial action" leading to speculation they would be waiving their right to strike in future. |
| Jacquie White, from the Ulster Teachers' Union (UTU), and Mark McTaggart from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said this was a misinterpretation and the deal did not prevent future strikes. | Jacquie White, from the Ulster Teachers' Union (UTU), and Mark McTaggart from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said this was a misinterpretation and the deal did not prevent future strikes. |
| Mr McTaggart said there had been "misinformation being put out across social media in terms of this deal". | Mr McTaggart said there had been "misinformation being put out across social media in terms of this deal". |
| "I would say many members will have seen what was on social media and made a decision based on that," he said. | "I would say many members will have seen what was on social media and made a decision based on that," he said. |
| Ms White said there had been a "perfect storm", in terms of getting information out to members. | |
| "Due to the fact that negotiations were ongoing and intense the initial pay offer went out late on the day on Friday and, therefore, the unions were not in a position to provide that clarification, to respond to members' concerns. We did put out further information on Saturday and followed it up on Monday," she said. | "Due to the fact that negotiations were ongoing and intense the initial pay offer went out late on the day on Friday and, therefore, the unions were not in a position to provide that clarification, to respond to members' concerns. We did put out further information on Saturday and followed it up on Monday," she said. |
| Teaching unions had received the 5.5% offer from the employers, including the Department of Education (DE), on 31 January. | Teaching unions had received the 5.5% offer from the employers, including the Department of Education (DE), on 31 January. |
| It said schools needed "a prolonged period of stability free from industrial action" and it "should only be taken as a last resort in any dispute". | It said schools needed "a prolonged period of stability free from industrial action" and it "should only be taken as a last resort in any dispute". |
| Union leaders subsequently said it did not mean teachers had to waive their right to strike. | Union leaders subsequently said it did not mean teachers had to waive their right to strike. |
| Mr McTaggart told Good Morning Ulster "unions can't be tied to a deal which doesn't allow them to take legal and legitimate industrial action where they need to". | Mr McTaggart told Good Morning Ulster "unions can't be tied to a deal which doesn't allow them to take legal and legitimate industrial action where they need to". |
| But he added: "That's what was being implied here." | But he added: "That's what was being implied here." |
| Ms White said: "The initial pay offer went out late in the day on Friday and unions weren't in a position to provide clarification and respond to members' concerns." | Ms White said: "The initial pay offer went out late in the day on Friday and unions weren't in a position to provide clarification and respond to members' concerns." |
| Offer was 'insulting and derisory' | Offer was 'insulting and derisory' |
| Tanya Wakeley, a teacher St Cecilia's College in Londonderry, and vice president of the National Education Union in Northern Ireland, said the 5.5% offer was "insulting and derisory". | Tanya Wakeley, a teacher St Cecilia's College in Londonderry, and vice president of the National Education Union in Northern Ireland, said the 5.5% offer was "insulting and derisory". |
| "We just want the minister to realise the hard work and effort that has gone into teaching over the last x amount of years," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. | "We just want the minister to realise the hard work and effort that has gone into teaching over the last x amount of years," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. |
| That needs to be "appreciated in our pay packet," she said, adding that the profession was "at crisis point" in terms of workload. | That needs to be "appreciated in our pay packet," she said, adding that the profession was "at crisis point" in terms of workload. |
| "Teachers have been putting sticking plasters on education for too long," she said. | "Teachers have been putting sticking plasters on education for too long," she said. |
| One union prepared to accept offer | One union prepared to accept offer |
| Unions had carried out a short consultation with teachers on the offer, but it did not provide the necessary backing for the deal. | Unions had carried out a short consultation with teachers on the offer, but it did not provide the necessary backing for the deal. |
| Teaching employers have said they are disappointed and are calling on trade unions to bring forward proposals to resolve the dispute. | Teaching employers have said they are disappointed and are calling on trade unions to bring forward proposals to resolve the dispute. |
| The pay offer was expected to have cost the Northern Ireland Executive about £49m. | The pay offer was expected to have cost the Northern Ireland Executive about £49m. |
| BBC News NI understands that members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) were the only union prepared to accept the offer. | BBC News NI understands that members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) were the only union prepared to accept the offer. |
| Teaching unions had suspended planned action short of strike while negotiations on the pay deal took place, but they will now resume that action from Monday. | Teaching unions had suspended planned action short of strike while negotiations on the pay deal took place, but they will now resume that action from Monday. |