Sir, – As a member of the INTO, I was delighted to see our general secretary, Sheila Nunan, quoted in your newspaper as describing the JobBridge scheme as "exploitative" and urging young teachers not to be pressured into taking up a JobBridge placement ("Teachers told to ignore JobBridge positions", August 22nd).
INTO members have successfully opposed JobBridge since it was introduced.
At successive annual congresses, members have voiced their opposition to its use and the union has instructed members not to participate in it.
By their actions, the vast majority of schools, principals and boards of management of primary schools have endorsed this view. Less than 1 per cent of primary schools have advertised teaching positions through JobBridge and only approximately 6 per cent have advertised for non-teaching positions.
It is a great credit to the vast majority of principals and teachers across the country that they have resisted the temptation to try to fill some of the many funding and resourcing gaps in our schools through the use of exploitative labour.
How is it possible to reconcile an ethos of respect, equality and fairness with the use of a scheme that pays people €4.30 per hour? If you would not be willing to work for such paltry wages, why should you expect someone else to do so?
Members of other unions should take a similar stance and protect the working conditions of existing and future members.
JobBridge is clearly an exploitative make-work scheme being used to manipulate the jobless figures. Its existence contributes to downward pressure on wages and conditions and an “expectation” that working for virtually free for six or nine months is the only route into a job.
It doesn’t need yet another review to tell you that JobBridge should be abolished immediately. Get rid of it now. – Yours, etc,
GREGOR KERR,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.