Strike rejected

PRIMARY teachers voted against possible strike action over the loss of more than 600 jobs on support programmes for Traveller pupils and disadvantaged children in rural areas after warnings that the move would breach the Croke Park agreement.

Delegates at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) congress were told by union leaders they risked the withdrawal of Government commitments not to cut their pay or make compulsory redundancies if the proposal was adopted.

A two-thirds majority of more than 700 teachers rejected part of a motion calling on the union executive to seek a reversal of the cuts with a campaign up to and including industrial action.