Teachers to begin work-to-rule action in levy protest

MORE than 25,000 second level teachers will refuse to take part in parent-teacher meetings after school hours as part of their union’s action against the pension levy and education cutbacks.

In a move designed to increase pressure on the Government to re-enter talks with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the work-to-rule action by members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is scheduled to begin at the country’s 730 second level schools on March 31, the day after a planned national strike on next Monday week.

It will involve withdrawal from after-school parent-teacher and staff meetings, and from school development planning meetings, all activities on which teacher unions reached agreement with the Department of Education in return for pay increases under previous social partnership deals.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s spokesperson said his department had not received formal notification of any type of action by yesterday evening, but would consider it when it is received.

In letters sent to school stewards yesterday, ASTI general secretary John White and TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin stressed that it is unlikely the strike on March 30 will go ahead if the Government enters talks with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The move comes as the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) announced that its members have voted in support of industrial action and will also take part in the March 30 one-day stoppage. They may follow up with non-co-operation with some activities.

IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings said the two-thirds majority who voted in favour of industrial action shows the reluctant determination of university staff to register the strongest possible protest against the Government’s handling of the economic crisis.

The TUI is expected to issue a direction on the format of non co-operation for its 6,000 members in institutes of technology next week, when a decision is also likely to be made by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) on what form of work-to-rule action its 30,000 members might take in primary schools.