Teaching unions to mull fresh offer

The proposed deal with teacher unions gives some concessions on what they rejected, but it is unclear if they are enough to assuage anger about a range of cuts and extra work required.

The executives of all four teacher unions meet between today and Friday and are expected to put the packages to ballot. All four unions strongly rejected the previous proposals from the Labour Relations Commission, and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, Teachers’ Union of Ireland, and Irish National Teachers’ Organisation have received strong backing from ballots for industrial action up to strike if pay cuts or work practice changes are imposed without agreement.

Some of the biggest sticking points before the unions met the LRC on Monday were cuts to the pay of those earning over €65,000, but some concessions had already been granted through the LRC discussions with other unions last week.

There were still big issues at stake for most teachers, the most wide-reaching being planned changes to supervision and substitution arrangements. This work has been optional, but is done on a paid basis by most primary and second teachers since an ASTI strike was resolved a decade ago.

It would still become compulsory and unpaid, as proposed in February, but the level of work is slightly reduced and some payments can now be recouped in 2016 and 2017.

Another key factor will be the partial clawback of pay cuts to new teachers over the last two years, which union figures were surprised to have achieved so quickly in February. More recent entrants to the profession could also be enticed to accept the deal by the prospect of job security in a move to give effective permanency to part-time teachers after three years instead of four.

Union officials were tight-lipped on the deal before their leaderships consider it in the coming days.

The INTO executive meets this afternoon, when it is expected that a ballot will be ordered. ASTI’s standing committee meet and the TUI executive meet tomorrow with the same questions facing them.

The executive of the Irish Federation of University Teachers will consider the proposals on Friday and may have to convene a special conference to decide on any recommendation.

“It represents modest improvement on what was already rejected but it will be for members to decide whether it is enough,” said IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings.

What the deal means

LRC proposals for teachers:

* The compulsory provision of unpaid supervision and substitution will be for 43 hours a year instead of 49 proposed in February, but up from 37 for those who are signed up to, and paid for, the work.

* Work under the supervision/substitution scheme will not be used to cover the first day of certified sick leave or absence due to a family bereavement. Their use to cover the first day of family illness or force majeure leave will not now begin until next year.

* Because the previous €1,800-a-year payment (or €1,500 for newer teachers) was a pensionable allowance, €650 will be added to each point of the teachers’ salary scale in 2016, €650 a year later.

* The revised pay scales for teachers who started working on reduced pay last year and in 2011 will be adopted, as set out in the February proposals. Continued payment of qualifications allowances to 2011 starters at primary and second levels.

* Contracts of indefinite duration for fixed-term and part-time teachers after three years instead of four from next year, in third-level colleges and schools.

* Fees for correcting third-level exams cut by 25%.

* In institutes of technology there are changes since February to how an additional 78 hours work a year will be calculated, some hourly-paid lecturers could move to permanent lecturer grades and pay scales over three years from 2014

* Additional recognition will be given from next year, when filling some vacancies in second-level schools, to non-permanent teachers with service.