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Schools await staff strike ballot No classroom strike next week
(about 2 hours later)
Children attending special needs schools in Northern Ireland could face further disruption if classroom assistants decide to strike again. Classroom assistants will not go on strike next week, although one union has not ruled out further industrial action in the following week.
Members of Nipsa met on Thursday to vote on whether to accept a pay offer or resume their industrial action. Nipsa, which represents almost half of them, balloted its members on Thursday on whether to accept a pay offer or resume their industrial action.
Nipsa General Secretary John Corey said members were very clear in what direction they wanted to go. They voted to take further action, but a union spokesman said talks with employers could avert more strikes.
"The overwhelming vote from those meetings is to resume strike action by classroom assistants," he said. Last month, 10 days of strike action shut more than half of special schools.
"They are absolutely determined not to accept this offer that has been tabled by the employers."
The result of the vote by classroom assistants will be confirmed later.
Nipsa is the only union, so far, to have taken any industrial action in this dispute over pay and conditions.Nipsa is the only union, so far, to have taken any industrial action in this dispute over pay and conditions.
The union has said unless its demands over job evaluations are met it will again call out on strike more than 2,000 of its classroom assistant members. General Secretary John Corey said the result of the ballot made it clear beyond doubt that Nipsa members were "absolutely determined" to continue their campaign.
Last month, 10 days of strike action closed more than half of Northern Ireland's special schools. "There is now the opportunity in the next week to avoid further disruption to schools by the employers engaging in serious negotiations," he said.
"If the employers will not do that, we demand today that ministers must intervene immediately."