Special schools in Northern Ireland are closing today due to strike action by members of the Unite trade union.
Disruption is also expected to school transport at mainstream schools across Northern Ireland, with catering and youth services also set to be impacted.
Several special schools in Belfast are expected to be impacted, while Rossmar in Co Derry is also set to be closed during the week-long strike.
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The Unite union say the strike follows Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris' " punitive budget that has left the Education Department unable to deliver pay & grading improvement".
A Unite spokesperson said: "The strike involves more than 700 education workers and will extend for seven weekdays. Schools across Northern Ireland are likely to experience significant disruption as a result as Unite's membership includes school bus drivers, escorts and maintenance workers, catering staff, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, school administrative staff, cleaners, building supervisors and ground maintenance staff."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is totally unacceptable education workers in Northern Ireland have been denied this improvement as a result of this punishing budget set by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This budget is not enough to maintain education services – let alone offer any protection to education workers in the worst cost of living crisis in a generation."
Kieran Ellison is lead Regional Officer for Unite in the Education Authority workforce.
“Our members working for the Education Authority have had enough," he said. "With a 94% majority they voted for strike action and we are now commencing seven days of action. If we do not see any movement to improve the budget or deliver the pay & grading review, this strike is likely to escalate further in the new academic year."
Principal of Rossmar in Limavady, Caroline Clements, said in a letter to parents the school will be closed from June 15 to 23, inclusive.
"After a detailed risk assessment the school leadership team have had to make the difficult decision that because of the high degree of staffing deficiency and associated risks we will not have adequate staffing to ensure the health and safety of all pupils," she wrote.
"All pupils in Rossmar will not be able to attend on these dates."
In a statement published on its website, the Education Authority said the dispute is linked to "the EA Pay and Grading Review".
A spokesperson for the organisation said: "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 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."
EA said transport, catering, special school classroom assistants and youth services had been identified as "areas where localised disruption to normal service is most likely during the scheduled strike action".
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