Teacher strike action dependent on vaccine rollout

ASTI president-elect Eamon Dennehy, proposing and seconding respectively the joint motion taken by all three teacher unions in response to changes in the national vaccination programme at the ASTI annual convention. Picture: Dave Cullen

The progress of Ireland’s vaccine rollout is expected to greatly impact on whether or not teachers will opt for strike action if they are balloted this summer.

The three teaching unions passed a shared emergency motion demanding that the Government reinstates education staff as a priority group within the national vaccination programme.

The unions have also called for further priority to be given to special education staff, and pregnant and high-risk teachers. 

The move will see teachers asked if they should take industrial action, up to and including strike action, unless the Government agrees to a schedule before the end of the school year. 

Changes to the vaccine rollout were debated in detail across all three of the teacher trade union conferences.  

The Government’s decision to introduce an age-based system for vaccinating the population instead of one that prioritises teachers “completely” undermines their objective of keeping schools open. 

That is according to Kieran Christie, the general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI). 

“A situation whereby a minister for education is out of the loop when proposals are being formulated that will have huge implications for the health and welfare of tens of thousands of workers in our schools is unfortunate." 

One teacher who addressed the ASTI conference was Eugene Grace, who contracted Covid-19 in October of last year in his workplace, St Joseph’s CBS in Nenagh. 

“Up until last October, I was a very fit and healthy young man with no health issues,” he said. 

Immediate past president Deirdre Mac Donald at the ASTI annual convention 2021. Picture: Dave Cullen

“Over the last six months, I've been in three different ambulances including where my deputy principal had to call the ambulance. Countless doctor's visits and in hospital twice."

"Yesterday, I tried to go for a walk. After three minutes, I couldn't breathe. [Covid-19] has turned my life upside down. I dare any member of the public or the cabinet, or Nphet or NIAC, to go into a school, follow a secondary teacher around for one day." 

In her address to the Teachers' Union Ireland (TUI) congress on Wednesday morning, Minister for Education Norma Foley repeated that she acknowledged the change in schedule has been a cause of upset and disappointment for many in the education sector. 

The change, she said, was based on the latest scientific evidence, which confirms that age is the single ‘strongest predictor’ of whether a person who contracts Covid-19 will be admitted to hospital or ICU or die as a result of their infection.

In response, TUI union president Martin Marjoram said the unexpected change has negatively affected the trust and confidence between the union and the department.

Two TUI members Joe Gibney and John McBride from the Boyne branch, spoke against the emergency motion on potential industrial action.

ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie addressing delegates at the ASTI convention. Picture: Dave Cullen

“This motion will be perceived as the little spoilt child stamping their feet because we were not consulted on it,” Mr Gibney said.

Mr McBride said the union had considered the workplace to be considered safe up until now, and if that's the case then it should be safer after Easter. 

"Yet, here we are spitting the dummy now about not getting vaccinated and not being prioritised." 

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) held its debate in private session. Speaking afterwards John Boyne, INTO general secretary,  said a parallel vaccination programme targeting priority workers will enable critical public services such as schools to remain open.