Industrial action likely as teachers show anger

MORE than 60,000 teachers are set to take industrial action in the coming weeks after ballots of their three unions all resulted in backing of the move in protest at the Government’s handling of the economic crisis.

The ballots were called in the wake of last month’s announcement of the public service pension levy, but the outcome is also a reflection of teacher anger at recent cutbacks in education services.

The level of action will be decided over the next week or so by the executives of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) which has 18,000 members, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), 30,000 members, and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), which has 14,500 members.