TEACHERS embroiled in industrial action over pay will be made angrier by a 3.5 per cent rise for staff in England, a union leader has warned.
The UK government's award announced yesterday means the main pay range will increase.
This does not apply to classroom staff in Northern Ireland, however, where unions are engaged in a dispute with employers.
They rejected a pay offer that would see staff receive no across-the-board pay rise for 2015/16, and a one per cent cost of living uplift for 2016/17.
Unions have since submitted a claim for a 5 per cent cost-of-living increase.
There have been three strikes taken by two unions while others are involved in industrial action that includes refusal to cooperate with inspections.
The National Education Union, which includes members of the ATL in Northern Ireland, is among the unions that supports the 5 per cent claim.
NEU Regional Secretary Mark Langhammer said there appeared no end in sight to the industrial action in the north.
"We can get on with it up to a point but if we want anything more than one per cent then it is out of the remit of the Civil Service," he said.
"There has been a lot of shadow boxing and and outline agreement. The bottom line is there nothing there yet and government is saying they don't have the money.
"If England are getting 3.5 per cent, this is more than our members are getting. This will only make our members angrier."
A delayed one per cent recommended pay rise was awarded to the north's 55,000 healthcare workers last December following a high-profile campaign by trade unions.
The backdated rise amounted to £26 million and was to be paid at the end of the 2017/18 financial year. Unions had lobbied the Department of Health on the issue since March last year - when the pay award was first made - but were repeatedly told it had to be signed off by a minister.
The Department of Education said it welcomed this as it "set the parameters for public sector pay awards".
Unions, however, said a one per cent award would only add to the anger and frustration being felt by the teaching profession.
