Union chief: Government deal a ‘con job’ for teachers

TEACHERS must not be tricked into supporting a “con job” Government deal which “picks up the debts of banking executives” while slashing public sector salaries and essential school services.

Don Ryan, president of the 14,500-strong TUI, said last Tuesday’s pay-cut deal was something “no self-respecting trade union would contemplate”.

The agreement – which will see public sector salaries cut and work hours increased – is being supported by the Irish National Teachers Organisation’s (INTO) executive committee, and has been defended by Taoiseach Brian Cowen as vital to Ireland’s economic recovery.

However, Mr Ryan reminded 450 delegates from second-level schools, PLCs and ITs, the deal was made “against a backdrop of a €23 billion bail-out for the gambler investors in Anglo Irish Bank, a significant pay increase for the staff of the same bank, a 70% pay increase for NAMA bosses, and €3.6bn in pay and perks for AIB staff”.

He said supporting the plan would effectively mean agreeing that teachers and schoolchildren should be made to pay for “the vultures among us who committed treachery”.

“This Government shows no real willingness to deal with the real culprits – the banking system, speculators, tax exiles and tax dodgers. Instead, it has chosen to target the workers of this country.

“This agreement is an inappropriately-named public sector agreement. It was never an agreement.

“The proposed deal is full of trapdoors for us and escape hatches for the Government.

“It is a massive con-job which no self-respecting trade union would contemplate.

“Remember, this is the second attempt in six months to entice public servants to barter away hard-won conditions of service.”

TUI general secretary Peter McMenamin said the rights of failed bankers like Sean FitzPatrick and David Drumm were seen as more important than vulnerable schoolchildren whose book allowances have been taken away and teachers who are struggling with mounting personal debts.

“Right now we seem to be in a new form of redistributive politics.

“Instead of re-distributing wealth, noticeably not done in the good times, the Government has allowed wealth to be concentrated among a few developers, bankers and others in an inner circle.

“When they blew all they had and much more through personal greed the Government squandered the nation’s resources for generations into the future by distributing the personal debts of those few, equivalent to €12,000 for each man, woman and child in this country, said Mr McMenamin.

Tánaiste and newly appointed Education Minister Mary Coughlan is due to attend the TUI congress later today.