Moves are under way to get the entire leadership of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) to resign, as fallout from the five-month teachers' dispute continues.
Six branches are calling on the union's executive to resign. They claim the executive's actions undermined the campaign by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI).
The branches have put down a priority motion for the TUI annual conference on April 17th calling on the executive to resign. According to TUI sources, the vote on the motion could be close. If it is passed the executive would have no choice but to resign.
Several of the branches - including Dublin city and Dublin colleges - are among the largest in the TUI. Also supporting the motion are Limerick (community and comprehensive), Shannon, Co Wexford and Co Kildare.
The motion - the first item to be debated at the conference in Co Donegal - is likely to prompt heated exchanges among members, many of whom criticised the leadership's failure to initiate strike action alongside the ASTI.
The union's members voted against the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness last year, but its leaders have accepted its terms and remain active members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The motion states: "The actions of the TUI executive in accepting the terms of the revised PPF and calling off the special congress on pay without consulting TUI members were undemocratic and brought the union into disrepute. The decisions undermine the actions of our colleagues in the ASTI and assist the Government in their ongoing industrial action."
While many TUI members are critical of the leadership, other trade unionists have complemented the union on its strategy during the ASTI dispute.
The TUI leadership has supported using the benchmarking body to pursue a 34 per cent pay rise. It has also demanded that any pay increase awarded to ASTI will have to be paid to TUI members. Some members are pushing to make sure they get all or part of the £1,750 to be paid to ASTI under the revised Labour Court proposals.
Meanwhile, ASTI members are considering the Labour Court proposals. Their leaders will spend the next fortnight briefing members on the details. Early indications are that several branches in Dublin will vote no, although the situation is not as clear outside the capital.
The ASTI's conference in Galway runs from April 17th to 19th. Most branches are expected to ballot their members following this.
The union is expected to drop its ban on exam work for the foreseeable future, but other work involving the Department of Education and schools - such as parent teacher meetings - may be boycotted.
Mr Charlie Lennon, ASTI general secretary, yesterday said the regional meetings would be important for members and frank debate was likely to take place.
The Department said orals/practicals will begin on April 23rd. Contingency plans for the exams are still in place but it emphasised that they are "purely precautionary".