The bitter divisions within the ASTI deepened last night when its general secretary said a document prepared by executive members on pay would "expose the union to public ridicule".
Mr Charlie Lennon said the document on the benchmarking pay review contained "inaccurate and misleading statements". In a letter to Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, he said it "would be damaging to the interests and reputation of the association were the document published while it contained statements which could expose the association to public ridicule".
Mr Lennon's refusal to publish the document has angered hard-liners in the union. An emergency CEC meeting will take place during the ASTI annual conference next month to consider the issue.
It is understood Ms Fitzpatrick and the union's press officer questioned a total of 22 statements in the benchmarking document which they believed were inaccurate, misleading and/or irrelevant.
In his letter, Mr Lennon pointed to flaws in the document, which was designed to explain to members why ASTI continued to opp- ose benchmarking and the Labour Court proposals on its dispute last year. He writes: "The draft document fails to address any of the Labour Court recommendations other than the submission of the ASTI claim to benchmarking as required by the CEC resolution. It also contains a number of inaccurate and misleading statements.
"It would be damaging to the interests and reputation of the association were the document published while it contained statements which could expose the association to public ridicule. This is likely to happen, particularly where the document refers to other groups or organisations.
"The sub-committee should amend the text to distinguish between opinion or speculation and fact, present accurately such factual information as it contains, and it should address the balance of its remit."