The exercise forms the last major part of the programme of job evaluations for all Board staff undertaken to ensure that jobs are graded in a consistent manner and that jobs of equal value receive equal pay.
The Department of Education has now given approval to the Education and Library Boards to make a final settlement offer to the Trades Unions.
Caitríona Ruane said “I very much recognise the important role that classroom assistants perform, particularly in supporting our youngest school children and those with special educational needs to reach their full potential. It is important that their jobs are graded and remunerated correctly and I am glad the employers and unions have reached this stage of the negotiating process.
“I welcome the recent progress and am pleased that I can give approval to the Boards to make a formal, final settlement offer to the Unions.”
Ms Ruane, whose Department has made £30million available to cover the costs of the settlement, concluded: “I sincerely hope that final agreement between the two sides can now be achieved quickly so that the substantial funding which my Department has already made available can be released into the pay packets of classroom assistants at the earliest possible date.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Job Evaluation is an agreed process between public sector employers and the trades unions. It provides a means to ensure that job grades are determined in a fair and consistent manner and ensures that jobs of equal value receive equal pay.
- The classroom assistant evaluation exercise covers some 7,000 staff and is part of the overall rolling programme of job evaluations for all Board staff.
- The Department made available some £30m of funding to the Boards for costs arising as a result of the classroom assistant exercise. However, the employers and the Unions have been unable to reach agreement over the settlement terms. The main unions involved are NIPSA and UNISON.
- The Boards reported recently that substantial progress in negotiations has been made after further extensive discussions between the Boards and Unions and with the assistance of the Labour Relations Agency. In the light of the latest negotiations, the Boards consider they are now in a position to formally put their final offer to Trade Union Side and sought the Department’s approval on the basis that the proposed settlement is workable and affordable from within the funding made available.
- Media queries, contact the Department of Education Press Office on 028 9127 9701.
