Teachers’ ballot may result in strike days as union recommends rejection of pay and reform proposals

Secondary schools could face closures in the coming months as teachers prepare to ballot on pay and reform proposals which their union recommends be rejected.

Around 17,000 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (Asti), the larger of the country’s two unions for second level staff, will receive ballot papers next week with voting to close on February 1.

Rejection of the proposals, which were put together in conciliation talks before Christmas, could lead to the union activating an existing mandate for strike, which already resulted in the majority of secondary schools closing for a day last October.