Strikes by teachers could shut schools
The three main unions will conduct votes for industrial action up to strike level next month as the Government considers whether to impose pay cuts in response to public service workers’ rejection this week of the Croke Park II deal. The action would be triggered “in the event of Government proceeding unilaterally to impose salary cuts or to worsen working conditions”, they said yesterday.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Ruairi Quinn would not comment last night, except in relation to the wider issue.
“This is a time for calm and considered reflection on the results of the ballot on the Croke Park extension proposals. The issue [of the Croke Park ballot results] will be discussed at the cabinet meeting next week,” she said.
Mr Quinn said at Easter that unions’ failure to ratify the pay proposals could force frontline services to be cut. But Health Minister James Reilly said yesterday in Cork the Government would have to legislate for pay cuts “in the absence of Croke Park.”
There is an assurance that the sitting or marking of Junior and Leaving Certificate exams would not be affected by any teachers’ action and, effectively, any disruption is unlikely before schools reopen after summer holidays.
The decision appears strategically aimed at resolving the dispute with Government well before then. Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin insisted this week, in the wake of the wider public service rejection of the deal, that he still has to make public sector pay savings of €300m between Jul 1 and year’s end.
While teacher unions would not say they are against talks on further pay cuts, they insist any talks would have to start from a “blank sheet”.
“Unless it was something substantially different and new [being discussed], then we would consider that,” said one union source.
While other unions have said any attempt to cut pay through legislation would lead to a ballot, a pre-emptive vote for industrial action from 65,000 teachers would add pressure on the Government. It is uncertain if Labour Party leaders would force their backbenchers to vote for a law imposing pay cuts on public servants.
Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) members rejected the Croke Park extension proposals with 80% and 85% no votes, respectively. But there was surprise at the level of opposition among primary teachers, with a 69.5% vote against Croke Park II from the 32,000-strong Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), the only teacher union to support the first Croke Park deal in 2010.
INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said the ball is in the Government’s court and any move to unilaterally cut teachers’ salaries or worsen working conditions will be strongly resisted.
