Strike option to be subject of ASTI vote

SECONDARY school teachers are to vote at their union conferences tomorrow on a "shopping list" of proposals for industrial action, including a national strike and the disruption of the Leaving Certificate.

Widespread industrial action is one of the options put forward by the executive of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), following the rejection by members of the Government's £67 million pay offer.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) at its conference in Cork voted yesterday to ballot its members on industrial action over a promotions dispute. This could affect up to 50,000 students in the RTCs and the Dublin Institute of Technology from next autumn. The union will decide on its strategy at second level tomorrow.

The Minister for Education moved to coax teachers back to the negotiating table by offering concessions in her address to the ASTI conference in Killarney yesterday. Ms Breathnach promised that teachers concerns about early retirement and the fairness of promotions procedures would be addressed in further talks.

Pensions for retired teachers would also be increased, probably by 3 per cent.

Church owned schools will be required to protect the rights of pupils of a different religion under new legislation, the Minister said. She confirmed that new legislation on school boards would require the churches and other owners of schools to set out formally the ethos of their schools this would have to safeguard the rights of pupils belonging to a different church.

The Education (Education Boards and Boards of Management) Bill, currently being drafted, will give effect to the commitment in the White Paper to reform the running of primary schools.

The religious trustees of these schools will give up their majority on boards of management, but in return their right to continue offering denominational education will be recognised.

The Attorney General as already advised that denominational schools have a right to employ only teachers adhering to their religion. However, this right has to be balanced against the teacher's right to earn a living.

Ms Breathnach said the legislation would provide for the state ownership of all new schools. However, the patrons in most cases, the churches were the legal owners of most existing schools. The new legislation represented a formal acknowledgment of the status quo but would define the ethos more clearly.

The ASTI executive has warned members that the union could be sued for substantial damages if it went on strike without the protection of legislation. Immunity against legal action would apply only where negotiation procedures had been exhausted.