Pay rises and jobs on cards if Asti suspends action, says education department

A range of pay increases and access to permanent jobs for some teachers would kick in immediately if the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland decides to suspend a number of industrial actions, the Department of Education has said.

The details have been outlined ahead of a crucial, special, convention in two weeks’ time, reluctantly agreed to by Asti’s leaders in response to a petition from more than 1,500 of its 18,000 members. It will debate whether to suspend all industrial actions relating to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) and Junior Certificate reform, pending the outcome of the public service pay talks and provided its members are treated equally to other public servants already signed up to that deal.

Asti was the only public service union not to accept the LRA, and the pay elements would not be retrospectively paid as they have not fulfilled all its requirements. They would instead apply from the June 10 date of the convention if industrial action is suspended but would be withdrawn if they were re-activated.