CLASS DIVIDE

THE country’s teacher unions are deeply split on the public service pay deal after delegates took opposing views on how members should vote on the package at three conferences yesterday.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) annual congress voted unanimously to recommend its 15,000 members in colleges and second-level schools reject the deal and to take industrial action if they do so.

Despite deep anger about the cost to teachers of bailing out the banks and the prospect of further education cutbacks raised by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, delegates at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) annual congress voted narrowly not to recommend its 32,000 members reject the deal.