A fourth teachers’ union will join a widespread half-day strike in Northern Ireland on February 21.
The National Education Union (NEU) has informed education authorities that their members will join the strike.
Teachers in three other unions – NASUWT, INTO and UTU – had already decided to go from midnight to 12:00 GMT.
About 66% of NEU members who cast their ballots in a formal vote that ended Friday have chosen to join the strike.
The union has now informed the Ministry of Education (DE) and the training companies, including the Education Authority (EA), of their intention to go on strike.
The action by the four unions stems from the ongoing standoff over a collective agreement.
A letter to school principals from Sara Long, the chief executive of the education board, which represents governing bodies and employers, said schools should expect “significant disruption”.
But governing bodies have so far only advised school leaders to close schools as a “last resort”.
In a message to NEU members in Northern Ireland, the union’s regional secretary, Mark Langhammer, said they had a “crucial mandate” to strike.
“What has upset our teachers is the long-term underfunding of schools, our children and of course our teachers,” he said.
Northern Ireland union vice-president Edel McInerney said the decision to strike was “ultimately a sad day”.
“NEU are slow to anger, moderate and thoughtful,” she said.
“The toxic balance of increased work intensity and declining job satisfaction has taken its toll.
“This is an absolute last resort for our members.
“Responsibility for any disruption to schools rests directly with employers’ authorities and the Department of Education.”
The NAHT union, which represents many school leaders in Northern Ireland, had previously decided not to join the February 21 strike.
She supports the actions of other unions, but wants to give some time for the wage dispute to be settled.
The dispute has not been resolved since unions rejected a two-year salary offer as “unreasonable” in February 2022.
Unions have since called for a 6% “cost of living” wage increase for 2021-22 and a plus 2% rise in inflation for 2022-23.
Inflation is currently over 10%.
Meanwhile, a teachers’ strike planned for next Tuesday in Wales has been called off following a new salary offer from the Welsh Government.
Teachers in Wales were offered an additional 1.5% on top of this year’s 5% salary bonus, plus a 1.5% one-off payment.
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