Teachers to vote on industrial action

The executive committee of the Teacher’s Union of Ireland (TUI) has this afternoon decided to ballot members on industrial action.

The union represents more than 15,000 members in second level schools, further education colleges and Institutes of Technology

TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said: “The executive committee of the TUI took a decision today to ballot members on a range of industrial action up to and including a series of strike actions if the government decides to impose any measures that would:

* Worsen conditions of service

* Reduce staffing in schools and colleges

* Threaten job security

* Reduce pay or pensions.

“Any such actions would be taken in conjunction with other teacher unions. TUI will be meeting with ASTI, IFUT and INTO in the coming days to further develop a strategy for the coming weeks and months.

“Teachers and lecturers have already had their conditions of service severely affected as a result of education cutbacks introduced since last year and have suffered a pay cut in the form of the unilaterally imposed pension levy.

“We acknowledge that we are living in difficult times, but any further pain must be spread among all those who can afford it, and not just public servants.

“Cuts to the education service are a direct attack on the most vulnerable children attempting to navigate a way through the system, and we will continue to highlight this forcefully in the coming weeks.

“TUI will also be encouraging as many members as possible to take part in the ICTU regional protests on November 6.

“The union has already informed the vocational principals’ association of its plans in this regard. TUI will be seeking that management assist in enabling as many teachers as possible to take part in the protest, without any loss of service to students in schools."