The likelihood of industrial action by secondary teachers moved a step nearer yesterday when delegates at the annual conference of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, instructed the central executive to reject the deal without balloting the membership.
The executive is meeting this morning in Killarney to decide its next move. A two-thirds majority is required to avoid a ballot on PPF. If the executive decides not to ballot on the PPF it would leave the way clear for industrial action early in the next school year. Many delegates said the best way to proceed was not to ballot on PPF, but to ballot on the type of industrial action the union wanted. A number of speakers are members of the central executive, and sources said their comments are a reasonable indication of the feelings of the executive.
However, a smaller number of delegates said it would be better to confront the Government with a ballot result against PPF.
Throughout yesterday delegates were scathing about the terms of the PPF and its acceptance by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, from the Desmond branch, said: "Let us reject PPF and fast-forward our strategy for balloting our members on industrial action." Mr Michael Waddell, a Wexford delegate, said a ballot on PPF would be "a diversion, and a distraction" and would take "our attention away from pressing our salary claim forward".
Mr Noel Bannon, from Dublin, said if ASTI had stayed in ICTU "we would be like the TUI, who voted against PPF but are tied into it".
Mr Kevin Brogan, responding to the statement from the Small Firms Association calling on the Government to hold the line on pay said small business groups should not be allowed to lecture teachers. Many of these small businesses operated like "sweatshops".