Pupils affected by half day strike action

Thousands of teachers are taking part in a half day of strike action over pay today.

Members of the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation are staging pickets at school gates.

They’re stepping up their campaign for a pay rise and for what they call a ‘fair wage’.

Teachers from Scoil an droichid on the Ormeau Rd who are joining thousands of teachers on strike as part of a row over pay @qnewsdesk pic.twitter.com/orTMZ0ynu3

— Maria McCann (@journomaria) January 18, 2017

Pressure is mounting on the Education Minister after his decision to withhold a cost of living increase for teachers.

Talks have been ongoing between INTO, the Employing Authorities and Department of Education, but, when talks failed before Christmas, members were balloted with an overwhelming majority voting in favour of strike action.

The strike action is the first in a series of planned stoppages by the INTO.

Teachers taking part in the half day strike will be on strike until 12.30pm.

Teachers stand together at Queens Student's Union as they strike over pay. Many say they don't want to be here, but in their classrooms pic.twitter.com/wopIktVcjg

— Hannah Spratt (@Radio_Han) January 18, 2017

Gerry Murphy said INTO's 7,000 members, across the entire school system, are "fed up and angry" at being exploited by the Minister and Employing Authorities.

He said: "This is the first of a series of strikes in protest at the decision by the Minister for Education, Peter Weir MLA, to withhold a cost of living increase for teachers for the 2015/16 year.

"Teachers are loathe to take strike action, but, in the face of the decision by a Minister who has badly misjudged the mood of the profession and having exhausted all the avenues of negotiation available to them, teachers have no options left other than to withdraw their labour.

"This is the first of a series of planned stoppages and INTO will not hesitate to enact further work stoppages should the Minister and the Employing Authorities continue to deny teachers an increase already paid to every other education worker in the 2015/16 year.

"The Minister claims there is no money to pay such an increase yet his Ministerial colleagues can find money to meet serious cost over runs in other areas,” he says.

He adds: "We hope that sense will prevail and, with an election weeks away, Minister Weir would do well to consider paying teachers now rather than paying later at the ballot box."