by Conor Sharkey

AS the classroom assistant strike escalated this week, Strabane parents joined protesters on the picket line in a show of solidarity.

Tuesday marked the start of a three day strike by all classroom assistants. However trade union Unison suspended strike action yesterday morning (Wednesday) to consider the latest offer from employers. Despite the Unison decision, Nipsa vowed to continue their protest, adding that an all-out strike earmarked for next week will go ahead unless a resolution is found.

About 3,000 Nipsa members will today (Thursday) end their walkout, after rejecting what employers called a "significantly improved offer".

So why have classroom assistants voted to take to the picket lines?

While a large percentage of the strike action is finance related, school workers have also been unhappy at plans to change how their hourly rates are calculated, as well as the removal of allowances paid to those working with children with special needs.

And speaking from the Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh picket lines yesterday, parents said that while they realised the implications an all-out strike would have for their children, they were fully behind the classroom assistants.

Siobhan Gillespie said, "My daughter is in primary six and will be taking the 11+ next year, so it is an important year for her. But the classroom assistants aren't out here by choice. They do a great job and should have that work recognised. An all-out strike would be terrible because it is the children who will suffer, but if that's what it takes to make employers stand up and take note, well and good," she said.

Mrs Gillespie's sentiments were echoed by Assumpta McGranaghan.

She said, "If the classroom assistants were getting what they are entitled to, then we wouldn't be in this situation. The ones here at the Irish school do a great job and I doubt if the teachers here could cope without them, so they should definitely be properly paid for their contribution to the children's education."

Strabane District Council member Brian McMahon also braved the rain to support the strike action, adding that parental support was crucial.

"It pains us as much as the children that we can't afford them the care they deserve, but the fault isn't with ourselves, but on the management side. This has been going on for 12 years now and the ball is in the court of the employers. At the moment there is no end in sight to this, but talks can go down to the eleventh hour. It's not yet clear if the all out strike will go ahead next week, but there is definitely a determination on our part," Mr McMahon said.

Also on the picket line yesterday morning was Nipsa representative Kieran Bannon.

Looking to the next step in the classroom assistant campaign, he said, "We will review our position after the three days and give management time to enter into further discussions. We had a situation earlier this week of being called to talks only to find that employers had nothing to say. We don't want to sit down unless there is something solid to talk about.

"This is about the equality of education and particularly special needs. Assistants have enhanced their skills by the completion of their NVQ Level Three. The standards of education have improved and that needs to recognised for classroom assistants as it is for teachers," Mr Bannon said.