Plans for a serious esclation in strike action by secondary teachers - including a series of three-day strikes in the new year - are to be considered today.
This follows the apparent collapse of a tentative peace effort between the Department of Education and ASTI officials. The strikes would be organised on a regional basis. The 180-member executive of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) will examine other options including:
Disruption of oral, practical and aural Leaving and Junior Cert exams, due in March.
A ban on sport, debates and other extra-curricular activities.
Continuing a ban on any co-operation with Department of Education review bodies.
One source said last night: "ASTI wants to bring this to a head - strong, direct action is the only thing the Government will respond to." Hope is fading that the dispute can be resolved before Christmas. Informal contacts are set to continue next week between ASTI officials and the Department of Education. However, the Government will consider the ASTI's 30 per cent pay claim only within the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF). Full details of the ASTI's campaign of industrial action are expected to be finalised when its executive meets early next month. Already this term, schools have been closed for eight days. The next one-day strike, which will close more than 600 schools, takes place on Thursday. During this strike the ASTI will picket schools even where the majority of teachers are members of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI). More than 60 community, comprehensive and community colleges will also be affected as the ASTI's picketing action widens. The ASTI campaign received a setback this week when the TUI stepped back from industrial action and voted to accept the revised PPF and tax changes in the Budget. The TUI had voted for strike action if the Government failed to provide compensation for inflation and if the benchmarking process was not brought forward.
The Government agreed to fast-track benchmarking and to pay part of any pay award retrospectively from December 2001.
The TUI will, however, hold a special congress late next month to consider the pay issue. The union will join the Irish National Teachers' Organisation in the benchmarking review. This will reward teachers for past and future changes in productivity. TUI general secretary Mr Jim Dorney said last night: "We now hope to process a substantial claim for teachers through the benchmarking process."
The TUI vote is a considerable boost for the Government. It leaves the ASTI even more isolated from other teaching unions and the rest of the public service.