Primary teachers are preparing to lodge a pay claim "well in excess" of the 30 per cent sought by the main secondary teachers' union.
They want the top pay-scale for teachers to rise from £31,591 to £40,000 and other allowances to be increased by 100 per cent.
This is the first indication from their union, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) of what they will submit to the Government's new benchmarking body shortly.
The union also wants to see teachers reach the top of their pay scale after 10 or 12 years, rather than the current 25.
The union is holding a conference on its submission to the benchmarking body on Saturday, when members will have a chance to discuss the proposals.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) is also preparing a pay claim and is expected to look for a minimum 40 per cent rise in basic salary.
The INTO declined to specify the increase it wanted in basic salary, but said it would be "significant" and far bigger than the 30 per cent claim from the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI).
The increase would be "a reward for productivity and reflect increased demands and workload" among teachers.
The union said the high points students needed to enter primary teaching were not being recognised. "The INTO executive will be demanding that all degree allowances be increased significantly," said Senator Joe O'Toole, the INTO general secretary.
He said promotional opportunities for teachers were "very constrained" and almost exclusively administrative. "As a general approach, the INTO will be seeking that 75 per cent of all teachers should be on promoted grades," said Mr O'Toole.
The rewards for principals and deputy principals needed to be increased significantly, he added. "The lowest level of a principal's allowance should not be less than £10,000 per annum. The deputy principal also plays a very central role in the operation of the school, and their allowance should accordingly reflect this," he added.
Assistant principals (a different post from deputy principal) currently get £4,472 annually, while special duties teachers get about £2,000. Senator O'Toole said these rates should be increased by 100 per cent to "gain respectability".
Meanwhile, the ASTI is preparing a submission for the Labour Court, which will shortly hear its 30 per cent pay claim. An all-day hearing involving the union and Government representatives is expected within a week.
After the presentations, the Labour Court officials will reserve their decision for several weeks. When they make a recommendation, the ASTI's central executive council will consider it.