Teacher union members urged to vote against Toward 2016

MEMBERS of two teacher unions are being urged to vote against the Toward 2016 social partnership agreement this week, although the deal is already expected to be endorsed by the trade union movement within days.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) holds a special delegate conference next Tuesday where representatives of affiliated unions will vote according to the outcome of their own ballots for or against the deal.

With the country’s two largest unions, SIPTU and IMPACT among those having voted to accept, analysts believe comfortable endorsement will be given to the deal offering workers pay increases of 10% over 27 months.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) central executive has recommended rejection of the deal because it lacks clear commitments on tackling underfunding, reducing pupil-teacher ratios or supporting schools to deal with misbehaving students.

Its 16,500 members began balloting at branch venues nationwide yesterday and will continue doing so today and tomorrow with a result expected at the weekend.

Members of the 12,000-strong Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) are taking part in a postal ballot which began during the summer. They have until next Monday to return their votes, just a day before the ICTU meeting. A TUI special congress in June recommended rejection as the deal only offers cost of living pay increases.

A ballot of the 27,000-members Irish National Teachers’ Organisation — the country’s largest teacher union — resulted in acceptance last month following the approval of its executive.

The ASTI and TUI will carry 16 and 13 votes, respectively, to next Tuesday’s ICTU conference in Dublin, where 390 delegates will bring the views of their respective unions.

But even if both follow their leaders’ recommendations to reject the deal, at least 200 delegates look set to back the agreement based on the outcome of ballots already completed. The INTO will lend 22 votes to support for Towards 2016, which will have the backing of SIPTU (77 votes) IMPACT (34 votes) and the 29 votes of the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union.

Labour Affairs Minister Tony Killeen yesterday said the agreement heralded a new era for employment rights which provide stability in relationships and engendered the confidence needed to support adaptability and change.

He said these were the requirements of the workplace of the future where we sought to win the “race to the top” in pursuit of high productivity activities to support associated high pay.