Negotiations on a new process to allow the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) pursue its 30 per cent pay claim have still to achieve real progress, according to sources.
The process, to be worked out by the mediator in the dispute, Mr Tom Pomphrett of the Labour Relations Commission, is designed to open the way for substantial discussions on the ASTI's pay claim. But it is still unclear if the talks can produce a formula before the Friday deadline set by the union.
It is understood that the process under discussion this week will seek to link the ASTI claim with the benchmarking pay review body, under which the other teacher unions are pursuing their pay demands.
Discussions between Mr Pomphrett and Government officials continued yesterday A media blackout has been imposed in the talks. In a separate development, teachers could gain extra pay for illness cover and supervision without breaking the national pay deal, under a formula being explored by officials.
With a view to substantial negotiations beginning possibly next week officials are exploring any process in which ASTI members can gain more money without undermining the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF).
The ASTI rejected the PPF, which was accepted by the leaderships of the other teaching unions, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and the Teachers' Union of Ireland. The plans now being explored would see all teachers getting extra payments for work such as supervision and illness cover, which is now done on a "voluntary" basis.
Officials are examining how these issues might be handed over for consideration by the Department of Education without damaging the PPF.
Providing short-term illness cover and supervision has been a running sore for both teachers and school management for years.
The Joint Managerial Body, representing the majority of school managers, has pressed the Government to regulate the area and end a situation where this work is done voluntarily in most schools. Under the plan being explored, all teachers would gain extra allowances for these tasks.
Officials have ruled out the setting up of a teaching commission or a special forum on the role of the teacher. The Department of Education favours the establishment of a commission in the future, but does not want the commission to become entangled in the dispute.
Mr Pomphrett hopes to have a proposal in place before the 180-member ASTI central executive committee meets on Saturday. The union has set a February 21st deadline for the Government to make some "offer" or downpayment to its 17,000 members. If this does not happen, strike action, including the ban on exam work, will be reactivated.