Reject pay deal, ASTI members urged, and prepare for more strikes

ASTI members will be urged to reject Department of Education proposals aimed at resolving their dispute with the Government over pay and conditions for new teachers.

They will be balloted in January, said the union’s central executive committee, after meeting in Dublin yesterday.

Members are being urged to reject a deal offered to the union that is largely based on the terms already accepted by the two other teaching unions, the INTO and the TUI, including some pay increases for recently qualified teachers.

Accepting the offer would mean ASTI members would have to agree to come under the umbrella of the Lans- downe Road Agreement.

However, long-serving union members would be given the right to opt out of the supervision of students outside of scheduled class times under the proposals considered by the central executive committee yesterday. The union will continue to defer its industrial action pending the outcome of January’s ballot.

ASTI president Ed Byrne said teachers have struggled financially in recent years.

“Teachers have suffered savage cutbacks to education resources, attacks on their pay and conditions, and recently qualified teachers have been singled out for additional cuts,” he said.

“This has included the removal of improved access to job security for young teachers, the removal of payment in recognition of supervision and substitution work, and the threat of redundancies. However, despite this CEC is of the firm belief that the proposals are not acceptable, and should be rejected by members.”

In October, ASTI members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over unequal pay for recently qualified teachers. The decision by the 180-member central executive committee dashes the government’s hopes of an early resolution in the dispute.

While the union has said that it will defer its industrial action pending the result of January’s ballot, it does not rule out further industrial action in the New Year.

Further strikes will remain an option, something that will be of concern to students and parents as they prepare to sit state exams next year. The vote is also due to be held as students gear up for pre-Leaving Certificate and pre-Junior Certificate exams or orals in Irish, French, German and Spanish.

Sources close to yesterday’s talks failed to rule out a ‘no’ vote in January’s ballots leading to more school closures.

Yesterday’s decision will also pose many questions for junior cycle students. Those taught by ASTI members risk losing 10pc of marks in their English exams because of the union’s lack of co-operation with junior cycle reforms.