Paul Givan, the minister of education, praised the move, saying it will open the door to more pay-related debates.
In addition, he stated that he was dedicated to finding the funds necessary to provide teachers in Northern Ireland the same wage offer as those given to counterparts in England and Wales last summer.
In December, teaching union members decided to participate in industrial action. After unions claimed that teachers had not received a satisfactory pay raise for the 2024–2025 school year, action short of a strike was scheduled to start Monday.
The UTU, NASUWT, NEU, and INTO unions decided to halt the action on Friday.
"I applaud today's encouraging development that unions have decided to halt their planned action on the pay issue short of going on strike and to give negotiations time to conclude," Mr. Givan stated. "I'm determined to ensure that teachers receive a fair and equitable compensation settlement.