The executive committee of the TUI has suspended its proposed series of one-day strikes in recognition of a commitment from the Minister for Education and Science to introduce statutory teacher representation on VECs sooner rather than later.
Micheal Martin plans to bring forward proposals to amend legislation for approval by the Government in April. The proposal is to introduce a Bill amending the Vocational Education Acts. This will be referred immediately to the Office of the Parliamentary Draughtsman.
It's expected that the Bill will be published in late summer or early autumn. Martin plans to accord it a high priority in his legislative programme with a view to having an Act in place later this year.
It's likely that the necessary legislation will not be in place before this year's local elections in June, which is what the TUI wanted. When passed, however, it will provide for the dissolution of existing committees and their replacement with new committees constituted under the new legislation. TUI members were given the first indication of movement on the issue at a meeting on Tuesday, December 22nd, between the TUI and Department officials when they discussed the issue of teacher representation on VECs, a long-standing TUI demand. Earlier last week, the union was given a firm commitment that legislation would be enacted by the end of 1999 to provide for statutory teacher representation.
The TUI is now satisfied with the commitment of this amendment bill proposal and at a meeting of the TUI's executive meeting last week, a decision was taken to suspend the proposed strike action on the basis of the commitments received from the Minister and his officials. Joe Carolan, president of the TUI, points out, however, that "if the timescale for the various stages is not strictly adhered to, be assured that strike ballots will be immediately re-activated." The union is demanding at least two teacher representatives on all VECs and had wanted the legislation in place before next June's local elections. The Murray Report on the VEC sector recommended three teacher and three parent representatives on each committee. However the TUI will accept two representatives, given that the large-scale rationalisation of VECs recommended by that report is now going ahead.
A significant majority of VECs are currently made up of elected representatives. According to the TUI, two-thirds of all VECs have no teacher or parent representative.