UCU welcomes new Northern Ireland minister for Employment and Learning

UCU joint general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'I welcome the appointment of Sir Reg Empey in his new role as Minister for employment and learning. As a former trade and investment minister Sir Reg has extensive knowledge of the education and skills needs of Northern Ireland and will understand the need to maintain universities and colleges at the cutting edge of education and skills provision.

'I look forward to meeting the new minister and I hope one of his first tasks will be to resolve the long-running pay dispute in further education in Northern Ireland which otherwise threatens to derail the region's skills agenda.'