Teaching unions confirm industrial action ballot over pay dispute

'Soaring inflation has decimated workers’ take-home pay across the public and private sectors,' said INTO president John Driscoll. Picture:Moya Nolan.

Pressure is being ramped up on the Government to return to public-sector pay talks after teaching unions revealed that they plan to ballot members for industrial action next month.

Both the INTO and the ASTI announced plans last Tuesday to poll their members on their willingness to strike after talks on an improved deal broke down in June.

Announcing its decision, the INTO said that a ballot could only be avoided if the Government ends its “irresponsible procrastination” and puts a “respectable offer” on the table.

A spokesperson said the decision had been taken “in solidarity” with the rest of the public service who are “battling inflation and steep increases in the cost of living”.

“For five long months, soaring inflation has decimated workers’ take-home pay across the public and private sectors,” said INTO president John Driscoll. 

Our members have waited patiently for their employer, the Irish Government, to take steps to address the enormous financial pressures they are facing."

He said it beggars belief that the Government would engage in “delay tactics”, given the public finances are in a healthy state at present, adding that teachers will “be concerned” by the winter that faces them.

"Given the tokenistic offer made by Government last June, and their repeated failure to engage on the review of the pay terms within the Building Momentum agreement since then, it is regrettably time for us to initiate a ballot of members to seek a mandate, up to and including industrial action," he said.

The INTO move was followed by a similar announcement by the ASTI, which said it will be conducting its ballot as part of a co-ordinated campaign by public-sector unions to bring the matter back to the negotiating table.

ASTI president Miriam Duggan said a significant improvement in pay is essential to help offset spiralling inflation.

Prospect of WRC talks

Late last month the Workplace Relations Commission invited union representatives and the Government to fresh talks. No date has yet been set, though meetings are expected to reconvene around the middle of this month.

In late July, Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath insisted the Government is prepared to be “flexible” in terms of achieving a deal, but said that the State would not be prepared to “chase inflation” to achieve that goal.

Responding to the teaching unions’ move, a Government source said that given the increasing levels of uncertainty surrounding inflation and interest rates at present, “a balanced and prudent approach is appropriate in such circumstances”.

They added that the Government “wishes to reach an appropriate resolution”, and expects talks at the WRC to recommence later this month.

The Government’s previous offer of a 7% pay increase for the public service over two years — at an additional cost to the exchequer of €1.2bn — was roundly rejected by unions in June.