FERGAL McCARTHY,
Sir, - Pierce Purcell asks (January 21st) whether the ASTI, of which he is a trustee and I am an ordinary member, is interested any longer in achieving a 30 per cent salary increase. He says he raised this question before but that it has not been answered.
Is he so far removed from ordinary practising secondary teachers that he cannot ask one of them? Is he so out of touch that he would even have to ask? Did nobody tell him it is ASTI policy, expressed at the annual convention in April 2001 and endorsed by a national ballot of members in May 2001? I am surprised that he is unaware of these authoritative expressions of the association's interest.
He asks if there is an alternative forum to process our salary claim outside of benchmarking. Clearly, there is not. But no forum is needed. The ASTI only needs direct talks with a Minister who will negotiate a salary increase for secondary teachers.
He suggests that the ASTI make a submission to the benchmarking body, and if we don't like the results we can reject them and take industrial action. Surely he knows that once you make a submission to the benchmarking body you must accept its findings and you thereby forfeit the right to negotiate on pay and conditions for years to come. I think the "very little difference" that Mr. Purcell sees between benchmarking, arbitration and a salary review is a very significant difference indeed.
Mr. Purcell suggests that a special convention be held on the issue of benchmarking. I just wonder what part of "No!" Mr Purcell does not understand. The ASTI said "No!" to benchmarking at Convention 2000, at Convention 2001, at Central Executive Council in September 2001, at Standing Committee in November and December 2001 and unanimously, on January 18th 2002 and again, by an overwhelming majority, at CEC on January 19th 2002. But all is not lost. A committee of CEC is preparing a document to explain why benchmarking is unacceptable to secondary teachers. I suggest Mr Purcell read this document.
I believe that Mr Purcell's repeated promotion of benchmarking as an option for the ASTI, in direct conflict with the policy of the association, is conduct "injurious to the welfare of the association and the interests of its members" as specified under Rule 103 of the ASTI Rules and Constitution. Because of this I think he should be removed from the office of trustee and from membership of the ASTI. - Yours, etc.,
SEÁN FALLON, Kilakee Walk, Firhouse, Dubin 24.
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Sir, - The TUI and the ASTI both believe teachers deserve a significant pay increase. It is a view shared by the Taoiseach, the Minister for Education and Science and the Labour Court. Pat Cahill's view (January 15th) that the TUI leadership is misguided in pursuit of its pay claim suggests a dichotomy of approach between the membership of TUI and its leadership. This is not the case. The leadership is pursuing the pay strategy set out by its membership through its annual conference.
Mr Cahill is clearly hostile towards benchmarking and asserts that TUI is utilitarian in its approach. I believe our approach is rooted in pragmatism, but this cannot be read to mean that our core values and philosophies are in any way besmirched. It is my view that every pay negotiation is a benchmarking process. Any establishment of relativities is a benchmarking exercise.
Issues that this benchmarking process has the potential to address include the length of the salary scale and the enhancement of a long-service increment. These relate to young teachers and senior teachers respectively. They both meet the terms of reference of the benchmarking process, which seeks "to attract and retain high-calibre individuals to the public service". The ASTI strategy does not address these concerns.
We insist that the award will be for what teachers are doing, not for what others would have us do. We have given enough; the pay rewards have been too long coming.
The TUI is clear that if benchmarking doesn't deliver on the potential that we have invested in it, industrial action enters the agenda. - Yours, etc.,
FERGAL McCARTHY, National Honorary Secretary, TUI, Ring, Co Cork.