PIERCE H. PURCELL,
Sir, - Bernadine O'Sullivan (June 21st) identifies some of the salary and pension problems of teachers and other public servants. She fails, however, to suggest any positive solutions. As a retired secondary teacher, I expect my trade union, the ASTI, to take positive steps to protect and improve both the salaries and pensions of teachers.
One such step would obviously be for the ASTI to rejoin the Congress of Trade Unions, where the decisions about public service pay and pensions are made. By excluding itself, the ASTI has no voice at either executive or public service committee level.
By refusing to engage in the benchmarking process, the ASTI has lost the opportunity of adding its substantial voice to those of the INTO and TUI in the salary negotiations. Last December, 74 per cent of ASTI members indicated in a survey that they favoured engagement in benchmarking. The ASTI had a watertight case for a large pay increase, and the "ordinary" members knew very well that their claim should have been processed through benchmarking, especially since the other public service unions were doing just that.
Strong and sensible union leadership is now called for, and that means re-affiliating to the ICTU, engaging in normal negotiations and co-operating with the other unions in resisting any attempts by the Government to worsen the working conditions, salaries and pensions of public service workers. - Yours, etc.,
PIERCE H. PURCELL, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.