Common front between unions urged

TUI Conference: Calls for unity between teacher unions were made at the TUI conference in Ennis yesterday.

The TUI general secretary, Mr Jim Dorney, said the union must seek a common front with other unions so that the teacher union movement would never again be disunited. Mr Dorney said the benchmarking issue had clearly highlighted the need for unity.

The TUI president, Mr Derek Dunne, said the circumstances were not yet right for amalgamation with the ASTI, but the TUI was still committed to teacher unity.

"The question is, do we have the courage to seize the moment, take the final step and leave the familiar behind?" Mr Dunne asked.

He believed the courage existed, but the circumstances were not yet right to proceed. "By the teacher unions moving forward together, with one voice, on issues like the teaching council, assessment, curriculum reform and relationships with the ICTU, the circumstances will exist to seize that moment."

He said the union had taken the right approach on benchmarking and on the supervision and substitution agreement and had avoided a disjuncture between leadership and membership.

The supervision agreement was "an outstanding achievement" and a "real victory" for the TUI, Mr Dunne said. It was a "classic productivity deal" and should be the template for dealing with other issues such as assessment.

While the union was reluctant to engage in productivity deals in the past, "it may well be opportune to alter our approach", he said. However, any significant changes in work practices would have to be bought at a "premium price". The union had agreed to extend arrangements for parent-teacher meetings, but any delivery of in-service training outside school hours would require additional payment.

The conference accepted a motion calling for the appointment of a full-time officer at TUI headquarters to deal with bullying, harassment and false allegation claims.

Dublin Colleges delegate Ms Margaret Duignan said the officer should provide support to members who were victims or had been accused of these offences. The bullying could come from a colleague, a student or a member of management.

"It's my opinion that bullying is being swept under the carpet," she said, adding that books on bullying were a waste of time when problems cropped up.

The conference also heard concerns about the involvement of ICTU in TUI matters.

Mr Dunne said the union valued its involvement with ICTU, but was concerned about the negotiation process and the manner in which work practices were agreed. The conference passed a motion rejecting the "encroachment of ICTU on matters which are the sole concern of TUI members".