People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
"Instead of prioritising our children's education, DUP Minister Paul Givan has chosen to provoke confrontation with teachers.
Teachers have long sounded the alarm on the impact of their workloads.
Many teachers indicated it was more important to address unsustainable workloads than receiving pay increases. Given the cost pressures teachers and households are facing, this says a lot.
Givan has made no effort to address the pressures teachers face.
Our schools are grossly underfunded, many need repairs. Classroom assistants are demanding fair pay and terms. Many children with additional needs still don't have a September placement.
To deflect from his and the Stormont Executive's failure to address challenges schools face, Givan has whipped up division with visits to Israel and manipulation of school funding.
The Minister has no credibility or confidence and should have left his post long ago.
An anti-trade union Education Minister is unacceptable. Teachers should not have to strike to address their workloads.
The announcement of the ballot sends a clear message that Givan must heed.
Children's learning conditions are teachers' working conditions. People Before Profit sends our solidarity to the teaching trade unions."