ASTI teachers to take further industrial action ‘as appropriate’

Second-level teachers who are members of the ASTI are to take further industrial action “as appropriate”.

The ASTI standing committee met on Friday to consider the union’s next steps after members last week voted to reject proposals aimed at resolving a series of disputes with the Government over pay and education reforms.

The meeting made no decisions on the specific nature of any new industrial action that may be taken.

However in a statement the ASTI said members would continue with their boycott of the 33 additional unpaid working hours which were introduced initially under the Croke Park public service agreement in 2010.

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The union also said that its directive on not co-operating with the Government’s junior cycle reform would remain in place.

Junior Cert students in two-out-of-three secondary schools face losing 10 per cent in this summer's English exam due to the ASTI's continuing dispute over education reforms.

The ASTI said it would “continue its campaigns for equal pay for recently qualified teachers and sound reform of the junior cycle including political lobbying, a public information campaign, and further industrial action as appropriate”.

Last week the ASTI said it reserved the right to go on strike if the Government followed through on “threats” which could lead to redundancies among its members.

The union’s members last week voted by 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent to reject settlement proposals, based on a turnout of 75 per cent.

The settlement proposals followed industrial action which closed hundreds of secondary schools over three days in October and November.

The ASTI’s executive recommended its 18,000 members reject the proposals on the basis that they did not go far enough to restore austerity-era pay and conditions for members.

Penalties imposed by the Government on members of the ASTI last summer for “repudiating” the Lansdowne Road public service pay agreement will continue in place for members of the union.

These penalties include the loss of incremental pay rises for staff due to receive them in the coming months.