Secondary teachers are ready to ballot for industrial action in the autumn unless the Government responds adequately to their 30 per cent pay claim, according to a letter from the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland's general secretary to members.
Mr Charlie Lennon - reporting on a recent executive meeting - says his members "will be balloted for a graduated programme of industrial action". This will happen if, as seems likely, ASTI accepts the pay strategy document being prepared by a special subcommittee.
The ASTI executive is to discuss the report of the internal pay strategy group, probably in September. If it endorses it, members will be balloted for industrial action during October, according to ASTI sources.
This action is likely to include withdrawal from Department of Education initiatives, such as the inspection system planned for schools, and/or a series of one-day strikes. ASTI President Ms Bernadine O'Sullivan has also signalled the union may disrupt next year's exams if the dispute is not resolved.
The ASTI claim is being considered by the arbitrator in the dispute, who is expected to reject the claim. The union's executive has directed ASTI to proceed with its own pay strategy "if there is no arbitrator's report by August 31st or a failure of the arbitrator's report to adequately address our concerns in our 30 per cent pay claim".
ASTI sources accept, however, that this timetable is ambitious, given the complexity of the issues being considered by the arbitrator.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has been critical of the ASTI pay claim. On RTE's Later with O'Leary recently he accused secondary teachers of seeking a 55 per cent claim: the 30 per cent sought plus an increase of 25 per cent which will follow from Budget tax changes.
The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, has also signalled the Government's determination to protect the national pay deal, the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The ASTI walked out of negotiations on the PPF earlier.
Despite its tough approach, the Government is ready to give ASTI members the first 5.5 per cent pay increase due under the PPF when it falls due in October. ASTI members will also receive a further 3 per cent increase as part of a special "early settlers" payment negotiated by the teaching unions in the PPF talks. This is intended to compensate for settling early in the last pay round, only to see other groups like nurses and the Garda secure hefty pay increases.
The Government says it is likely to give ASTI members these pay increases to protect the common basic scale for all teachers. "We could not have a situation where ASTI members and TUI members in the one secondary school were on different pay scales," said a spokesman.
In its submission to the teachers' arbitration board, ASTI bases its 30 per cent claim on factors including increased productivity, the rise in living costs and its contribution to economic growth. ASTI is to discuss pay policy with the other teaching unions at a meeting on Friday.