ASTI committee backs rejection of proposed public pay deal

The 23-member standing committee of the secondary school teachers’ union ASTI has urged the organisation’s overall executive to recommend rejection of the proposed new public service pay deal.

The central executive of the ASTI will consider the issue at a meeting in late August or early September.

Any ballot of members on the proposed new Lansdowne Road deal will not take place until the new school year starts in the autumn.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the standing committee passed a motion stating that the “standing committee recommends to central executive council that a ballot of members on the extension of the Haddington Road agreement [Lansdowne Road proposals] be held, with a recommendation to reject it.”

Forthcoming ballot

The executive of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has also urged its members to reject the proposed new pay deal in a forthcoming ballot.

However the executive of the union representing primary school teachers, the INTO, has urged members to support the proposed agreement in a ballot.

On Monday the executive of the union representing senior civil servants, the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, urged its 2,850 members to reject the proposed new public service pay deal in a forthcoming ballot.

It described the proposed new Lansdowne Road agreement as “deeply disappointing” and warned of possible industrial action or a legal challenge.

Rejection urged

The executive of the Irish Medical Organisation has also urged members to reject the proposed deal.

The proposed agreement has been backed by the executives of larger trade unions such as Siptu, Impact and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

The numerical strength of Siptu, Impact, INTO and INMO mean that if members of these unions follow the advice of their executive committees and support the proposed deal, it will be carried by an aggregate vote on public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The TUI has said it will not be bound by any aggregate vote of the public services committee on the agreement.