Classroom assistants to renew strike action in Northern Ireland

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.

Education Minister Caitriona Ruane said she was "extremely disappointed" at the plans to restart the strike. "I would call on Nipsa to exempt special schools, as another union indicated they would," she added.

Nipsa is the only union, so far, to have taken industrial action in the dispute over pay and conditions. Last month, more than half of special schools were shut during 10 days of strike action. The new walk-out will begin next Thursday and Friday, continuing on the following Monday and Tuesday.