THE PROSPECT of disruption in some second-level schools has increased after the Teachers Union of Ireland refused to end its limited industrial action.
TUI members, who have rejected the Croke Park deal, voted at special congress on Saturday to retain a series of directives. These limit the reshuffling of middle-management posts, ban after-hours parent/teacher meetings and limit co-operation with school inspections and planning.
The impact of the TUI move will be felt in vocational schools, community colleges and community schools.
Some second-level schools with both TUI and ASTI members could also see some disruption to normal school services.
The Croke Park deal asks teachers to work for an additional hour per week and holds out the prospect of other changes to the teaching contract.
The TUI decision underlines the division between the teacher unions on the deal on pay and reform in the public service.
INTO members backed the deal in common with the wider public service trade union movement. ASTI, which rejected it, recently agreed to lift limited industrial action and enter clarification talks with the Department of Education.
While a clear majority of TUI members voted to retain the directives, they also signalled their willingness to enter talks “through the normal industrial relations machinery’’. TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said his union was prepared to enter talks on meaningful change.
The congress executive was also directed to draw up a contingency plan to deal with any attempt by the Government to impose the Croke Park deal’s changes by circular letter. The TUI conference said it would only respond to any proposal for change by the department through normal industrial relations procedures.
Some union officials are concerned that the split among the teacher unions over the deal may make it easier for the Government to face down opposition from the TUI and the ASTI.
Teachers are most exercised about the requirement to deliver an additional hour “a week at the discretion of management”, which would not be a teaching hour.
There are also fears a revised contract could herald fundamental changes in working conditions.
Under the Croke Park agreement the Government has guaranteed that there will be no further pay cuts for public service staff and that compulsory redundancies will not be introduced at least until 2014. The deal also includes a mechanism for possibly reversing part or all of the pay cuts introduced over the last year.