Teachers: £30k starting salary offer to unions in Northern Ireland

A pay offer that would see the starting salary for teachers across Northern Ireland rise to £30,000, was made today by Stormont's Education Minister.

Paul Givan said he hoped the proposed settlement which he said equated to a 24.3% rise, would bring an end to industrial action (see main picture)

The minister said it would see the starting point equal to England.

His department said the pay offer was a cumulative total of 10.4% plus £1,000 being applied to the other teachers' and leadership pay scales.

Mr Givan said it was unacceptable that teachers had been waiting three years for a pay increase.

"I am pleased that there has been significant progress on the issue of the teachers' pay with a formal offer being made to the teaching unions," he said.

"This offer, which equates to a 24.3% pay rise for beginning teachers, will help both attract and retain the best teachers to our schools.

"It is unacceptable that teachers have been waiting three years for a pay increase. I have made it clear that my highest priority is to ensure that the teaching profession is paid at a rate which recognises the value of their profession.

"This is a positive step in that direction, and I commend the positive negotiations that have taken place within the Teachers' Negotiating Committee (TNC) which consists of management and the trade unions representing teachers and school leaders."

The five teaching unions which make up the Northern Ireland Teaching Council (NITC) are set to consult with their members on the proposals.

Mr Givan said he urged teachers and school leaders to consider the formal offer, adding if accepted and implemented, it will "bring an end to all industrial action which has been ongoing since May 2022".

He added: "The ending of the industrial action will create the opportunity to stabilise our education system and allow us to build upon this towards the delivery of world class education in Northern Ireland."