Ruairi Quinn: Deal to equalise payscale ‘in near future’

A deal on the gradual restoration of paycuts imposed on more than 2,000 young teachers in 2011 is expected in the coming weeks.

Acknowledging concerns that there were three separate payscales for teachers doing the same job, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn told delegates at the second day of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation congress that progress on equalising payscales could be made “in the near future”.

It is understood that talks between officials at the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and union leaders have taken place in the hope of merging the 2011 payscale with the 2010 one.

Up to 2,000 primary teachers who entered the profession on the 2011 payscale are expected to benefit from the deal, as should hundreds, at least, who are working in second-level schools. These teachers were hit with a reduced payscale — some 13% lower than earlier entrants to the profession.

The pay changes under discussion would also involve entrants to the wider public service in 2011, although the majority of people who entered the public service that year were teachers.

Mr Quinn said a situation where unequal pay for equal work took place was “absolutely unacceptable” and would be rectified “as soon as we can possibly afford it”.

“It was easier, quite frankly, to reduce it [pay] for incoming employees than it was for existing employees,” said Mr Quinn. “That’s why you have young teachers now, the last two or three years, in the classroom and schools where they are doing the same job as other people and they are getting lower pay.

“That’s a temporary measure in my view and that will have to be rectified as soon as we possibly can afford it.”

INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said the union had been pushing the issue with the two departments and was hopeful that a deal to unify the 2010 and 2011 payscales could be finalised in the coming weeks.

“What we are hoping to achieve is that the 2011 and the 2010 scale would be one scale which will both finish at the top end of what the current 2010 scale is,” said Ms Numan.

“It will be a limited cohort of teachers. It would be about 1,500 or 2,000 teachers who qualified in that 2011 year as everybody is now on the 2012 scale.”

Ms Nunan said the issue of teachers having to do the same job as their colleagues for less pay was “an absolute sore” on the profession and that there was still some distance to travel to regain the money lost to teachers entering on the 2012 scale.

“We are also aware that that doesn’t resolve everything on the 2012 scale and that we are still going to have to find some mechanism to compensate for the loss of allowance,” she said.