NIPSA

Nipsa said the axing of 450 jobs by the Housing Executive was just "the tip of the iceberg". Thousands of public sector posts could go due to an efficiency drive aiming to raise £790m. The government say no staff reduction target has been set.

Members will take part in industrial action today (Monday), which was voted on at the weekend, however the overall strike will cease from Tuesday.

Three other unions representing assistants have accepted a deal which added an extra £15m to compensate for changes in work conditions. Nipsa represents more than 3,300 classroom assistants in NI.

The Nipsa union's 3,000 members will be out on picket lines two days a week until Christmas, and many special schools will be affected. The union says the action was agreed unanimously at a meeting of its strike committee in Cookstown on Thursday.

A confidentiality clause has been agreed by employers and unions meeting at the agency, but it appears there has been little progress.

The dispute involves up to 7,000 classroom assistants and has been dragging on for over 10 years. It centres on salaries and pay grades. Most special schools are expected to be closed by the strike and many other schools are likely to have to send pupils home at lunchtime.