Education Authority staff are set to strike for seven days in June with significant disruption expected at schools across Northern Ireland.
Around 700 workers are set to take part in the strike action, after Unite the Union balloted its members.
They voted 94% in favour of the action starting from Thursday 15 June to Friday 23.
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That includes school bus drivers, escorts and maintenance workers, catering staff, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, school administrative staff, cleaners, building supervisors and ground maintenance staff.
The action centres in a row with the Education Authority over a pay and grading review, which had been offered as an alternative to a pay increase in 2021-22 that staff were not satisfied with.
That pay and grading review was submitted by the Education Authority to the Department of Education, but because of the budget situation at Stormont, it was never implemented.
The General Secretary of Unite the union, Sharon Graham, challenged the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to provide funding to redress the low pay of education workers.
"Chris Heaton-Harris has set a completely inadequate budget for Northern Ireland’s public services. He has left education workers with no alternative but to strike to defend themselves," she said.
"It is totally unacceptable that a pay and grading review will be denied to Unite the union members as a result of a punitive budget set by the Secretary of State.
"The Education Authority workers can be guaranteed the full support Unite in their fight for decent wages and to safeguard education services in Northern Ireland.”
Kieran Ellison is lead Regional Officer for Unite in the Education Authority workforce.
"The fact that 94% of education authority workers voted for strike action confirms the strength of feeling within our membership.
"We are not going to accept more of the same. Unite has notified the employer of our intention to initiate seven days of strike action commencing Thursday 15th June and continuing weekdays until Friday 23rd June.
"Responsibility for the heavy impact that this strike will have resides squarely at the feet of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris who must now review his punitive budget and deliver for the education authority workforce."
A spokesperson for the Education Authority said: "The Education Authority (EA) has been notified by Unite the Union that members across the organisation plan to take part in further strike action from Thursday 15th June (commencing at 00:01) to Friday 23rd June 2023 (ending at 23.59) in relation to a trade dispute linked to the EA Pay & Grading Review.
"As a result of planned UNITE strike action, we are expecting some disruption, including to EA home to school transport (yellow bus) services and school meals services. The strike action is also likely to impact on the availability of some Classroom Assistants, particularly in Special Schools.
"We are continuing to implement a range of contingency measures ahead of the further strike action and are working very closely with all schools to minimise disruption for children and young people, particularly those children with special educational needs, as we very much recognise the impact this will have on pupils, schools and families."
An NIO spokesperson said: "The Secretary of State is deeply disappointed to have had to set a Budget for Northern Ireland in the absence of an Executive.“A locally elected, accountable and effective devolved government is the right way to govern Northern Ireland and to address the challenges its public services face.
"The decisions required to live within this budget will continue to rest with the Northern Ireland departments. It will be for the relevant NI department to make final decisions on pay policies."
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