The prospect of industrial action by all 26,000 second-level teachers increased further last night when a second union threatened to strike over pay.
The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), which has 10,000 members, said that unless the Government made a pay award to compensate for inflation a ballot of its members on industrial action would take place next month.
The other second-level union, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), with 16,000 members, has already said it will ballot members on industrial action. Its executive meets today in Dublin to decide on its strategy.
The TUI said it might not participate in new initiatives such as school development planning and the Teaching Council "until there is agreement on a significant pay award for teachers". The decision of the TUI executive to issue a pay warning increases the pressure on the Government. The ASTI is likely to strike in mid-November and with the TUI ballot planned for late October both unions could go on strike together if the Government does not respond. The TUI said the Government needed to restore the "integrity" of the national pay deal, the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF).
It also said the "bench-marking process" - set up under the PPF as a reward in the public sector groups for productivity changes - needed to be completed by 2001, with payments made during that year. The union did not specify the level of award which would compensate for inflation, but sources said 5 per cent was the favoured figure. Members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have already supported such an award. The Government has responded by saying such matters would become part of a review process.
The ASTI has been talking about industrial action since earlier this year but it was accused by some members of other unions of going on a solo run. Last night's TUI statement is likely to encourage some ASTI members to form an alliance with the TUI.
Previous attempts to forge an alliance between the TUI, ASTI and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, failed.
The TUI is still committed to PPF, although it wants its terms changed. The ASTI is opposed to PPF and left ICTU in protest several months ago and did not have a vote on PPF.
The ASTI is expected to organise a national strike on November 14th and then begin a series of regional strikes. According to a confidential strategy document, obtained by The Irish Times, these will take place in Munster on November 21st, Connacht/Ulster on November 23rd, Leinster (excluding Dublin) on November 28th and in Dublin on November 30th. A total of 620 schools and 350,000 students will be affected.