School strike next week to hit 1,000 students

May 1995

ONE thousand Tralee secondary school students attending the Green, CBS and Mercy schools in Balloonagh and Moyderwell will miss classes on Tuesday next if their 100 teachers go on strike.

Teachers’ union ASTI have called a one day strike for Tuesday next as part of its campaign for a better early retirement package amongst other demands.

ASTI Kerry Chairman, Tim Lynch, said that a total of 22 schools in Kerry, which have ASTI members, will be closed as part, of the nationwide strike.

A large number of ASTI members in Kerry is also expected to travel to Dublin for a March on the Dáil, to coincide with the strike.

“We expect that about 200 teachers from Kerry will travel, to Dublin on the free train we have organised for them on the day,” said Mr Lynch.

All ASTI members in Kerry are expected to support the strike in Kerry according to Mr Lynch, who said 86pc of ASTI members in the county have voted in favour of industrial action compared to a national average of 80pc.

The ASTI is striking to highlight its demands for better early retirement packages, pay for specialist teachers and those with posts of responsibility and promotional opportunities for teachers.

Mr Lynch said that parents in Kerry have not complained to the ASTI about its one day stoppage proposal.

Meanwhile, 94pc of national school teachers in Kerry, who are members of the INTO have voted in favour of taking industrial action in support of their bid for better early retirement packages for members. Nationally 85pc of union members favour industrial action.