Teachers to strike over pay 4 days before poll
Mcgregor vows to put on a show for his fans as he takes on Cerrone in UFC return bout I told them, ‘Get me an opponent’. They chose Donald, I’m very happy
Seamus Lahart
MORE than 1,000 schools will be affected as teachers plan to down tools next month in a pay dispute.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland announced the strike action yesterday which is due to take place on February 4 – four days before the General Election.
The TUI has 19,000 members in second level schools, colleges of further and adult education and Institutes of Technology/ Technological Universities.
President Seamus Lahart said: “We have exhausted every avenue to bring this matter to resolution and have been left with no choice but to take strike action over the ongoing scandal of pay discrimination.”
In October, TUI members voted 92% to 8% to engage in a campaign of industrial action.
Speaking on RTE’S News at One, Mr Lahart explained teachers employed after January 1, 2011, earn far less than longer-serving colleagues.
He added: “My members have been patient for nine years over this issue.”
Mr Lahart said it is a coincidence teachers will be taking action during one of the last days of the General Election campaign. He added the date was decided some time ago and Education Minister Joe Mchugh had been made aware of it.
CONOR Mcgregor has vowed to put on a show for his UFC return against Donald Cerrone.
The Notorious will take to the Octagon for the first time in more than 15 months in the early hours of tomorrow to face the veteran slugger.
It’s Mcgregor’s first fight in the UFC since his defeat to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
That bout was marred by a post-fight brawl which saw both the Dubliner and his Russian opponent pick up bans from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Prior to the bout, Mcgregor was arrested for putting a trolley through the window of a bus that was transporting Nurmagomedov and other fighters.
Despite all this, he is still the biggest name in MMA and demonstrated just how much pull he has with the UFC by telling them what date he would be making his return on. He said: “I told the UFC ‘this is the date I’m coming back, get me an opponent’. “They chose Donald and I’m very happy with it. Like I’ve said, it’s been inevitable and I’m very happy with it.” The past five-and-a-half years have seen Mcgregor go from a complete unknown to one of the most famous sportspeople in the world.
But he admits at times it is tough, especially when it affects his family, and hinted at disappearing from the limelight when he hangs up his gloves. He revealed: “I always said f**k the fame. I never got in it for the fame.
“It’s just been a necessary part of it. It certainly has its pros and cons.
“I think one day maybe I’ll just log off and do a backstep out of it all as it is wild game and sometimes it’s tough. “I’m very grateful for the position that I am in.
“I’m very grateful for the support I’ve had off the people. If it brings in some bad,
I just think if I keep my focus right and my positivity sharp and keep the people I respect around me that will overcome all of that.”
Mcgregor, who was last year fined €1,000 for punching a man in a Dublin pub, also claimed it occasionally feels like conspiracy against him.
He said: “Sometimes it feels like a witch-hunt at times. It’s not so much me.
“I’m cool with it for being me. I understand it. It’s my family and things like that. It gets a little heavy at times.
“But I understand it’s a necessary evil and I also understand people have real problems.
“This isn’t a real problem. I rolled up in a Rolls-royce truck, my family’s back home, my son is playing in the pool in our Vegas home.
“People have real problems. I’m very, very blessed and although it comes with its downsides, the upsides outweigh that.” Mcgregor’s two children – Conor there’s
aJnr and Croia – have helped him put a structure in place for his training which sees him go to bed and get up at the same times every day.
He revealed: “It happened naturally to be honest. With the kids I couldn’t stay up late and stay in bed.
“The kids would be running around and jumping on top of me then.
“I regimented it a bit more. So I said, ‘OK I’m going to make it a specific time.”
Mcgregor’s bout with Cerrone is due to start at around 5am Irish time tomorrow and the Dubliner has predicted a knockout victory.
After the fight, he will host his own after party at the Encore Beach Club in the Wynn Hotel.
Backstage tables have a minimum drinks spend of between €7,000 for six people and €67,000 for 10 located on the stage beside Mcgregor.
Mcgregor cancelled his party at the venue after losing to Nurmagomedov.
15 months is how long Conor has been away from the Octagon
CONOR MCGREGOR YESTERDAY