ASTI now finds itself in a situation where it is being criticised from within and without. As reported in this newspaper yesterday, its highly respected general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, has said that its strategy on the supervision issue is not publicly sustainable. The general secretary of the INTO, Senator Joe O'Toole, has also accused a hardline clique within the union of pursuing its own agenda.
There will be widespread relief among parents, students, and indeed among many teachers, that yesterdays ASTI ban on supervision passed without serious disruption. Most schools appear to have functioned normally. Thankfully, those reports which suggested widespread closures have proven to be false. The hope must be that schools will continue to operate normally as students begin mock Junior and Leaving Cert exams this week.
Teachers are right to be angry about the supervision issue. But the merit of the ASTI case does not justify the tactics being used. Whereas the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) is negotiating for a better deal, the ASTI is again increasing the pressure. The union's stance on the issue is hardly credible. Last month, it startled the entire trade-union movement by demanding retrospective supervision payments for all retired teachers. Last week, it said it would not negotiate on the offer until its overall pay demand was resolved.
Both comments reflect the frustration of experienced, dedicated trade unionists about the damage being done to the image of the teaching profession. We are fortunate in this State to have an outstanding group of dedicated, hard-working and professional teachers - at both primary and second-level. But ASTI's long war of attrition is doing the entire profession a disservice. It would be good to hear what ordinary members think about democracy in the ASTI.
In a survey last year, they opposed further disruption and backed co-operation with benchmarking. But they have been ignored by the leadership. It is now time for them to win back control of their union.