Teaching unions to vote on pay deal

Two teaching unions whose leaderships rejected the Haddington Road Agreement without putting it to a vote are to give their members the chance to ballot on its contents in September.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland remain the only large public service unions opposed to the deal.

They had balloted their members on the agreement’s predecessor Croke Park II and there had been an overwhelming rejection. When Haddington Road was then formulated the two unions’ executives decided not enough had changed to warrant a re-ballot.

However most other unions, including a number of others who had rejected Croke Park II, have accepted the new agreement.

Yesterday, the ASTI central executive council voted to put the Haddington Road Agreement to a ballot of its 17,000 members with a recommendation to reject.

“Members of the central executive council expressed the view that teachers have given enough, including a 14% pay cut, which was imposed on all public servants.

“New teachers have been singled out for further cuts and all teachers’ working conditions have suffered as schools have lost staff and other vital resources.”

The executive committee of the TUI also met and decided to put the proposals to a ballot of members without recommendation.

“Given the wide ranging and divergent implications of the proposals and the FEMPI legislation for members, the TUI executive took the view members should be provided with comprehensive information and given a clear opportunity to make a considered decision in ballot,” said a spokeswoman.