Teachers ‘may have to step up action’

Almost 16,000 secondary teachers may have to escalate to strike action soon as the Government insists it will not talk to their union about the Haddington Road deal they rejected.

As industrial action at 500 second-level schools began yesterday, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland president Pat King urged the Government to enter “appropriate talks” about their grievances.

With little likelihood of any major impact on students or families in the two thirds of schools where ASTI members work, its leaders may soon have to either bow down or step up the action.