Teacher unions say state lacked courage

TEACHER unions have warned of inevitable industrial unrest, with one leader accusing the Government of lacking moral courage to reach agreement on public service pay savings.

Peter MacMenamin, general secretary of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), said an agreement seemed to have been in place that would have allowed for considerable savings and public service reform, while providing a period of agreement in the absence of industrial unrest.

“However, the Government did not have the moral courage to proceed and social partnership now lies dead on the floor of Government Buildings,” he said.