Only gain in sector to primary principals

THE principals of about 1,700 primary schools are to get a 31.5% increase in their allowances, but are the only large group to gain from benchmarking in the education sector.

All principals of our 3,200 primary schools will get increases of 6% upwards in their allowances, which are paid in addition to their basic teacher’s salary. The biggest proportionate rise will be to principals of schools with between one and five teachers, up almost €3,000 from €9,328 to €12,261.

The rises will bring overall income up between 2% and 4% and similar increases are also being awarded to almost 2,500 primary school deputy principals, at a total cost of about €13.5m, or 30% of all benchmarking awards.

With about 5,700 primary school staff to benefit, they are likely to make up about half of all public servants whose earnings will increase arising from the latest benchmarking exercise.

The only other pay rise recommended in the sector is a 1% hike for chief technical officers at five universities and senior experimental officer grade at TCD.

A 10% salary increase was sought by the three teacher unions, who expressed anger at the outcome and suggested problems when talks on the next national pay talks begin shortly.

Despite their successful lobby to increase primary principals’ allowances, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) complained the greed and unfairness of the private sector is to be imported into the public sector through benchmarking.

“Top earners are racing ahead while lower and middle-income earners are left behind. We’re also concerned at the ‘pensions discount’, which means poorer pensions in the private sector are being translated into poorer pay for public servants. This is a race to the bottom,” said INTO general secretary John Carr.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the benchmarking body has not delivered a good salary despite evidence of a significant gap between the lifetime earnings of teachers and those in comparable careers because of the 25 years it takes to get to the top of the salary scale.

“This disparity is further exacerbated for second-level teachers because most of them spend up to eight years in part-time work before obtaining a permanent job,” said ASTI general secretary John White.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) president Tim O’Meara said his members will be seeking to redress the lack of increase for teachers, lecturers and other education staff at the next round of wage negotiations, where they will also be expecting increases for losses against inflation in the last agreement.

“The benchmarking report contrasts markedly with the report of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, where significant increases were given to management grades, politicians and others,” he said.