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Newry & Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has said that the anger of school support staff must be respected and addressed.
Mr. McNulty was speaking after standing on the picket lines with striking workers this week. The Newry & Armagh MLA said that bus drivers, classroom assistants, and other school support staff were entitled to fair pay and working conditions.
“I stand fully behind school support staff who have taken the decision to strike as part of their long running dispute over fair pay and working conditions. While the disruption to schools and our children and young people’s education is regrettable, I know how difficult this decision has been for many support staff, and they would not be taking such drastic action if they felt they had any other choice.
“Bus drivers, classroom assistants, and other school support staff are some of the lowest paid in the education sector, and they are only paid during term time. The huge pressures brought about by the cost of living crisis, combined with more and more being expected of our support staff has pushed many to breaking point and this just cannot continue."
The MLA continued “I have heard from so many school support workers whose hearts are broken at the current situation in education. These are people who go above and beyond to support our children’s educational development, but sadly, many are now considering leaving profession altogether due to the toll the current situation is taking on them. With the dire state our education system is in, we cannot afford to lose our greatest resource – our talented and dedicated staff.
“The Executive must ensure that school support workers, who are part of the backbone of our education system, are afforded fair pay and conditions, and are paid all they are owed and deserve promptly. Parties need to be true to their word and honour the promises they made to working people – not pass the buck onto Westminster.”
The MLA also passed his backing on to striking Junior Doctors.
Speaking in the Assembly he said “The health service depends on junior doctors. The sacrifices that junior doctors make and the responsibility they hold is enormous, and their pay and working conditions should reflect that. Junior doctors hold our lives in their hands. They sacrifice so much of their own lives and their own health to safeguard ours. They deserve so much more than their current pay and working conditions.
“I have spoken with medics who have informed me of the “mass exodus” of junior doctors and other health care staff from hospitals in the North, particularly in border areas such as Altnagelvin, Daisy Hill, and the South West Acute Hospital to hospital and health settings in the Republic and further afield.
“This is often simply because an additional 20 minutes on a work commute can result in an overnight doubling in income. I cannot square this with the Department’s repeated assertion that Trusts are unable to recruit and retain medical specialists at hospitals like Daisy Hill. In fact, they have said this is part of the reason that Trusts are being forced to withdraw services."
Mr McNulty added “The goodwill of the professionals that have dedicated their lives to taking care of others should not be taken advantage of as a means to sustain the health service. That goodwill rightly enjoys all of our respect and admiration, but it is crucial to recognise that it is not infinite, and it should not be taken for granted.
“Surely it is more appropriate to recognise that a major contributing factor to staffing shortfalls at hospitals are the atrocious pay and conditions for our health service workers? Surely, it would be more appropriate to tackle the nub of the issue, rather than its out-workings. In other words, shouldn’t we be treating the disease ailing our health service, rather than the symptoms?”
