The threat by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) to withdraw from supervision and substitution duties from early next month must concern parents and students. The decision was made by the union's standing committee after a sizeable majority voted to reject the Government's €34 per hour offer for these duties. But the vote was hardly a clarion call for further disruptive action.
Fewer than half of the union's 17,000 members bothered to vote, reflecting grassroots unease about ASTI's disastrous pay campaign last year.
Members are entitled to be angry. Last year, over 70 per cent of them voted to co-operate with the benchmarking pay review body in a survey which was very well supported by members. Despite this, the union has failed to act on this vote. There must be a suspicion that the ASTI agenda is still being run by a group who do not reflect the more moderate views of the members. A large percentage of those who bothered to vote rejected the Government's offer - but it is by no means clear if the average teacher supports action which may close hundreds of secondary schools and inflict new misery on students and parents.
But ASTI's ill-judged tactics do not invalidate the substance of its argument. The union is right to seek the best possible deal for supervision and substitution. To its shame, the Department of Education compelled teachers to provide substitution and supervision on an unpaid basis for years.
The current offer is reasonable but by no means perfect. It has also been rejected by members of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI). The TUI believes it can negotiate a better deal around the table without threatening schools or students. It seems confident the Minister for Education and Science, Dr Woods, will at least examine the possiblility of including the supervision payment for pension purposes.
ASTI should follow the TUI lead. For his part, Dr Woods can help defuse the dispute by promising to examine the pension issue soon. Supervision and substitution is an integral part of the day for many teachers. Those who opt to provide this service should be properly paid - and this payment should be pensionable.
There is little to be gained by threats and sabre-rattling. The ASTI has a good case ; it should go back to the negotiating table and make it. It should not repeat the mistakes of last winter, which has left its grassroots demoralised and frustrated.