Teaching delegates support potential strike over changes to the vaccine priority list: What next?

The Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI) joined the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) in voting in favour of a motion backing industrial action, up to and including strike action, if the government refuses to U-turn on the issue of teacher vaccinations before the end of the school year.

What does it mean and what happens next? Jess Casey has the answers.

WILL THIS AFFECT SCHOOLS REOPENING NEXT WEEK?

No, the next phase of reopening schools is still due to go ahead as planned on Monday, April 12. The three teaching unions have been quite clear on the fact that they wanted to see the next, and final, phase of returning to in-person learning unaffected by any proposed action.

SO WHAT DID THEY VOTE FOR ON WEDNESDAY?

Teaching delegates have backed a shared motion, condemning the removal of education staff from the vaccine priority list last week. It demands that the Government reinstates the group as a priority, in light of the essential nature of their work, the fact they work with many households in crowded settings and given that social distancing in schools is not always possible.

The motion backed by members also demands that pregnant teachers, teachers in higher-risk categories, and those who work in special schools, special classes, and homeschool community liaison teachers are vaccinated as a priority within this group.

The motion also sets out that if the Government does not agree to a schedule by the end of the current school year on this basis, union members will be balloted for industrial action, up to and including strike action.

Three teachers' unions (INTO, ASTI and TUI) have agreed to a joint motion to their respective congresses on vaccination prioritisation. File picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

SO WHEN WILL WE SEE A STRIKE?

That’s not clear yet, but given the wording of this motion, it looks unlikely to be this school term. Members of the three unions will also have to be balloted. How long this will take depends on whether unions will opt for a postal ballot, or an online ballot, so that takes us into the summer months.

The majority of teaching union members will also have to vote to adopt the motion, and how that goes will depend on the mood at the time.

Securing a ballot for industrial action up to and including strike also doesn’t necessarily mean a strike will be taken as there are a series of work stoppages and other options available to unions.

It's fair enough to speculate that whether or not we see a strike will depend on the progress with the vaccination rollout. If everything goes according to plan with deliveries and we scale up operations as much as they say we will, fingers and toes crossed, most adults will be vaccinated by next September, regardless of age or occupation. However, if we are lagging over the summer, and particularly in August, that’s when the mandate will come into play.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The ball has been thrown back in the Government’s court. The teaching unions want to open a dialogue with the officials on the subject, and it is hoped a ‘twin-track' approach could be adopted. They want to see education staff vaccinated in tandem with the age rollout, under cohort 9.

Norma Foley

IS THAT LIKELY TO HAPPEN?

Not at this current moment. Education Minister Norma Foley told teachers on Tuesday that the decision to change the rollout was based on science, and on the fact an older person is more likely to die as a result of Covid than a younger person. There is a fear politically that if the Government rolls back on this, it will have to roll back for other groups too.

But, as cited by John Boyne, INTO general secretary, on Tuesday, it wouldn’t be totally impossible to vaccinate all staff working in special schools over a weekend at a mass vaccination event. Last weekend at the Helix, 6,500 people were vaccinated in a day, which almost aligns with the number of staff in special schools.

ARE OTHER COUNTRIES VACCINATING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF AS A PRIORITY?

Yes. The US made it a top priority to vaccinate all school staff – from teachers, to bus drivers, to caretakers. However, you can argue that Ireland and the US aren’t really comparable. But Ireland was previously cited by the OECD as one of 19 out of 30 countries with comparable data that had prioritised vaccinating school staff.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER STAFF WORKING IN CROWDED SETTINGS?

Siptu also demanded on Wednesday that the Government ensures that early years educators are treated on the same basis as teachers and other education workers in relation to the vaccine rollout.