Special needs assistants vote for industrial action

Up to 6,000 special needs assistants represented by the Impact trade union have balloted in favour of industrial action up to strike, over what Impact says is a reduction in working hours and fragmentation of SNA posts.

In some cases, individual SNAs have been reduced to as little as 10 hours of work spread over a full working week, the union said.

It said the loss of working hours and income constitute a breach of the Haddington Road agreement. It accused the Department of Education of avoiding discussions by pointing the finger of blame at the National Council for Special Education which oversees the annual allocation of the SNA service.