Schools hit as strike continues

Nipsa union members rejected a new pay offer

Schools across Northern Ireland are experiencing further disruption as classroom assistants continue their protest over pay.

Unions involved in the dispute say they will consult their members on the detail of the offer from the employers.

Thousands of special needs pupils had to stay home on Tuesday, as Nipsa members began a three-day strike.

The union said talks had not yet solved the issue, and it was disappointed no further money had been offered.

Employers said the talks were useful. Unions were last week offered a one-off £15m payment to compensate for a change in the way salaries are calculated.

They said that could mean £2,500 for each assistant. However, Nipsa said the offer did not go far enough.

The sticking point in the dispute is the change in the number of hours that assistants have to work to get a full salary.

Some of the unions involved admit that if classroom assistants are treated as a special case, other job sectors could take legal action claiming unequal treatment.

Schools closed

Some special schools were closed while many mainstream schools told parents to keep at home children who have assistants allocated to them on Tuesday.

Talks will continue on Wednesday, after which the unions will put the fine detail of the latest offer to their members.