Nipsa set to ballot on pay offer

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Classroom assistants belonging to the union Nipsa are to be balloted on the latest offer from employers aimed at ending a long-running pay dispute.

Three other unions representing assistants have accepted a deal added an extra £15m to compensate for changes in work conditions.

Nipsa represents more than 3,300 classroom assistants in NI.

It said it was balloting members because employers had claimed there was overwhelming support for their offer.

The union called on the employers to "ensure that the rights and views of all classroom assistants are respected fully" and to ensure that the ballot will be facilitated by schools.

"The proposal to ballot classroom assistants does not mean we have changed our view on the employers' offer," Deputy General Secretary Brian Campfield said.

He said if the education boards "responded positively" and "stepped back" from any attempt to impose the offer the union would consult urgently with classroom sssistants about suspension of the current strike action campaign.

Nipsa members have taken 16 days of strike action. The next day they are due to go on strike is Monday.

It is the only one of four unions refusing to accept the proposed job evaluation process.

Nipsa is the only one to have taken industrial action in the dispute over pay and conditions.

A meeting of all unions and employers has been called for Friday.