Furious teachers threaten to walk out on minister
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland have warned him to expect a reception in Wexford like the one received by Justice Minister Alan Shatter at last week’s conference of middle-management gardaí.
Delegates at the ASTI convention insisted the union will tear up the Croke Park II deal when their postal ballot closes on Apr 12. Just two out of more than 200 members voted in favour of the agreement after a debate of nearly four hours yesterday.
The contentious deal proposed by the Labour Relations Commission would see teachers take another pay cut and work longer hours, among other issues the union’s members said are unacceptable. Despite threats that the Government will legislate for pay cuts if unions do not agree to the deal, ASTI leaders last month recommended rejection in their ongoing ballot.
Gaining support for Croke Park II may be among Mr Quinn’s top priorities when addressing the convention this evening, but he has been warned by some delegates to expect a walkout when he arrives.
He will be at the annual congress in Galway tomorrow of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, whose ballot came back last week showing an 80% rejection of the deal.
Mr Quinn begins his tour of conferences at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation annual congress in Cork this morning. Although its executive has made no recommendation on the outcome, extreme anger at the situation was expressed in a private discussion on the proposals last night.
Primary teachers were the only ones to accept the first Croke Park deal, but their vote this time around could swing the other way, judging by the mood among INTO delegates. This, if it happens, could jeopardise the plan as INTO is one of the largest public sector unions, whose collective votes will decide on its overall success or failure later this month.
At last night’s debate, teachers spoke of distrust in a government which has reneged on a deal that promised no further cuts ahead of next year.
Principals are particularly incensed as they would have to oversee many of the proposed work practice changes, and most would be hit by pay cuts for any public servant earning more than €65,000 a year.
INTO president Anne Fay said public servants are battling a government that is making citizens bear the cost of a crash caused by those who are now being absolved through bankruptcy, both here and abroad.
“The Government refuses to make the banks pay for the crisis they caused, fails to get the wealthy to pay their fair share, and won’t address the serious issue of fair taxation,” said Ms Fay. “Billions of euro wasted, tax-dodging by wealthy individuals unchallenged, yet the Government attacks the most vulnerable in society.”
