TUI to enter Croke Park deal talks after action vote
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
Saturday, November 06, 2010
THE Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is set to enter talks on the Croke Park public service pay agreement after members have voted to lift industrial action in schools and colleges.
The union had been excluded from discussions between other teacher unions and the Department of Education because of its ongoing directives, which included a ban on members taking part in parent-teacher meetings after school or offering flexibility on vacant middle management positions.
However, TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin stressed that the 84% vote in favour of temporarily suspending industrial action does not signify acceptance by members of the Croke Park deal. They voted earlier this year against the agreement, which would guarantee no further pay cuts or compulsory redundancies in return for improved efficiencies.
Talks that began last month between the department, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) are focused on an extra hour a week of non-teaching duties such as school planning and supervision. Discussions on a review of teacher contracts are centred on delivery of the full school year of 183 days at primary and 167 days in second level schools, meaning school meetings and professional development could have to be held entirely outside class times.
The INTO voted before the summer to accept the deal but ASTI members also rejected the deal and decided to enter discussions on the Croke Park deal in September, on a provision that any outcome of the talks could not be accepted without a full ballot. Mr MacMenamin said last night that any proposals arising from the negotiations would also have to be put to a further ballot of TUI members before anything is agreed.
The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA), which represents Vocational Education Committees that manage second level schools and colleges staffed mostly by TUI members, welcomed the ballot result and called for the immediate lifting of its directives prohibiting or limiting co-operation with the reassignment of post duties, school inspections, school planning meetings, parent-teacher meetings and staff meetings outside school time.
"The TUI should now mirror the actions of the other two teacher unions. This is a time for partnership and solidarity, especially at a time when the educational sector is being threatened with further cuts in the upcoming budget," said IVEA general secretary Michael Moriarty.
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This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, November 06, 2010
