ASTI decision opens way for agreement in talks

A MAJOR breakthrough in the long running talks on teachers' pay and conditions has been achieved with the decision by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), that an acceptable basis now exists for reaching agreement with Government negotiators.

The ASTI standing committee reached this decision yesterday after a week of internal consultation on the latest Government offer. It instructed union negotiators to finalise a document setting out the entire offer available under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW).

These proposals will then be considered by the union's central executive council before being submitted for ballot to its 15,000 members.

The Government side has dropped or watered down a number of proposals contained in its original £66.7 million offer which was rejected by the ASTI and the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) last spring.

Crucial to the ASTI's change of view was the Government's decision to offer significant concessions on a proposal to make merit the main criterion for deciding all teacher promotions. It is now understood that seniority will continue to be a major criterion for promotions in secondary schools, although a process of screening interviews will also be introduced.

The quota of second level teachers who will be allowed take early retirement each year will be increased from the original proposal of 150. In addition, the Government's demand for extra "flexibility and change" from teachers, in the form of 15 hours' additional work a year on non teaching activities, is being effectively dropped.

The Government side has also proposed raising the 90 per cent ceiling on permanent appointments to community schools, probably to 95 per cent. This will please the TUI, which has expressed concern over the growing proportion of part time staff in schools.

Other proposals in the original package remain unchanged. These include: early retirement at 55 years, after 35 years of service; a £1,000 allowance for teachers with 35 years' service: a 28 per cent increase in allowance for posts of responsibility: the shortening of the pay scale, improvements in qualifications allowances; and an increase in the number of posts of responsibility.