Leader threatens to quit Croke Park deal

THE leader of the 15,000-member Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has warned the union could withdraw from the Croke Park Agreement.

TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said “all bets are off” if there is any departure by Government from the agreement, any citing of the clause relating to unforeseen economic circumstances, or any weakening of the commitments not to cut pay or to make members redundant.

“It is on these conditions that TUI has accepted the Public Service Agreement. If these conditions are breached, then we as a union absolutely reserve the right to withdraw from all commitments given,” he said.

Addressing the annual TUI congress, in Tralee, Mr MacMenamin also said his union reserves the right to consider and ballot for a resumption of industrial action up to and including strike action.

Teachers and students are suffering due to cutbacks, he stated, and he strongly rejected suggestions the output provided by teachers and lecturers in the education service is “not fit for purpose”.

While commenting that the jury was still out on the Government, he welcomed recognition of shortcomings in the education system by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn who visits the conference today. Mr MacMenamin said too many were leaving school with significant literacy andnumeracy problems.

TUI president Bernie Ruane, in her address, said trade unionists had taken a battering and warned the Government any further cutbacks would be implemented at its peril.

“We are far from dead or gone away. Be warned that if our system is cut again it will be done at the peril of this new Government and we will not go gently into that good night,” she told delegates.

All spending on education should be looked at as capital spending, she said, and a first class education system “cannot be delivered on a shoestring.”

Acknowledging that the future would demand changes from teachers and lecturers, she said investment must be maximised to help students achieve their maximum potential.

The theme of this year’s conference is, Education — The Way Forward, but education could not move forward without investment.

Meanwhile, the TUI last night voted for the ending of the annual payment of €100 million in state funds to certain fee-paying schools.

Delegates passed a motion from the union’s executive calling on the Government to enact legislation in keeping with the principles of the 1916 Proclamation to cherish all the children of the nation equally.

Mr MacMenamin said it was difficult to understand how at a time of severe cuts in education for the most disadvantaged people, the funding of privilege was continuing.

The motion emphasised equality of access to an education service from early childhood to the highest level.

It also called for an end to all forms of discrimination and for free of charge education for all.