TUI latest teaching union to confirm plans for industrial action ballot over pay dispute

Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) delegates at their national conference in April. The union said it will ballot members next month on the issue of pay. File picture

The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has confirmed it will ballot its members in September on an improved pay offer or opt for industrial action if there is not a deal on pay.

On Wednesday, both the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) announced that they plan to ballot members for industrial action next month.

They are looking for a pay rise to deal with the rise in the cost of living.

The three unions have urged the Government to return to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) talks with an improved proposal.

The offer put forward by the Government has been deemed inadequate.

The TUI said the current situation is even worse for those teachers appointed after 2011 who are impacted by pay discrimination and are being paid at a lower rate than colleagues who are carrying out the same work.

"Pay discrimination has also greatly contributed to a teacher recruitment and retention crisis in schools," said TUI president Liz Farrell.

Even after commencing employment, most second-level teachers struggle financially for several years on contracts of low hours. 

Meanwhile, general secretary of the INTO John Boyle said on Thursday that the union has still not heard from the Government when they intend to return to the talks table.

"We have been in this position two months from this evening," Mr Boyle said. "Those talks broke down in the WRC and we have no idea when or if the talks will recommence.

"I know the invitation is issued and we are happy to go back."

The ASTI said it is seeking a significant improvement in wages to help offset spiralling inflation.

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"The offer that is made to us must bear some relation to the penalties that people are experiencing while they are attempting to pay their bills and make ends meet," said ASTI president Miriam Duggan.

"Effectively, workers are working with a pay cut — so to offer us 5% over two years to cope with the inflation that we are experiencing was not realistic."