Teacher unions to ballot members on benchmarking deal and pay pact
The Teachers Union of Ireland is likely to call a vote of its members for early next month, and senior figures said they are hopeful the packages will be accepted.
The union represents second level teachers, in line for an 13% increase from benchmarking, and college lecturers who are due 11% and 12% rises.
The TUI executive decided on the vote yesterday, but will meet again next week after the Irish Congress of Trade Unions considers the full social partnership deal on Monday.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation, representing 23,000 primary teachers, who are due a 13% pay increase from benchmarking, are likely to be balloted later this month.
The INTO executive yesterday considered the modernisation aspects of the deal hammered out as part of the social partnership talks last week.
It requires teachers to be flexible on the timing of parent-teacher and staff meetings, to review inservice training schedules and agree standardised holidays for all schools.
However, some members are unhappy because they believed the public service pay review would reward them for previous co-operation, particularly the implementation of recent changes to legislation in the education sector.
“There was also anger that the public service will receive increases six months later than the private sector, just like in the last partnership agreement,” an INTO spokesman said.
Primary school principals are less than pleased with the benchmarking report published last June, which they say does not give them the same recognition as their second level counterparts.
Irish Primary Principals Network director Seán Cottrell called on the INTO to act as effective watchdogs in relation to pay and conditions for principals and their deputies.
“They must work vigorously on our behalf towards the implementation of a separate pay scale that reflects the responsibility that school leaders have for managing whole school staffs, including teaching, ancillary and part-time members,” he told the IPPN annual conference in Galway.
The INTO rejected IPPN criticisms of their work on behalf of principals, who make up around one-seventh of the union’s membership.
“The union recognises that the role of the principal has changed and that more responsibilities have been demanded, particularly in the area of special needs and parental expectations.
The role of the teacher has also changed and more demands are being made, but we are committed to seeking reward and remuneration for all,” said INTO general secretary John Carr.
He also called on the Government to replace 30-year-old rules governing principals’ duties, reform middle management and urgently examine recruitment and retention problems.
