Parent-teacher meeting row may delay pay rises

PAY increases to more than 40,000 primary and secondary teachers in January could be delayed because of disagreement about parent-teacher meeting times.

The second round of benchmarking payments and the first 2% of increases under the Sustaining Progress Social Partnership Deal are due to all public servants from January 1.

Most teachers with more than five years’ experience would see a monthly increase of over E200 including half of a 13% rise recommended by the June 2002 benchmarking report.

However, talks on modernisation requirements attached to the payments broke down yesterday and will not resume until January 8. This gives teacher unions and the Department of Education just a week to resolve the dispute before payments for the New Year are issued on January 15.

Since last September, parent-teacher meetings have taken place during and after school hours. One of the conditions attached to teacher pay increases is that discussions would take place on making meetings more convenient for parents.

But, according to a union source, department officials have been pushing for all meetings to be held outside school times.

“Even though the modernisation requirements do not spell out specific conditions, the department is pushing for maximum concessions,” the source said.

Yesterday’s meeting of the Performance Verification Group for the education sector was to finalise sanction for the payments. However, union representatives were reluctant to accede to the demands, which require members to stay after school for meetings with parents.

Despite the disagreement, one source expressed confidence that a deal could be reached. Third-level teaching staff have already had their pay increases, including half of the 11% rise awarded under benchmarking, approved.