Teachers face financial penalties from next week in schools dispute

Second-level teachers will face new financial penalties from next Thursday if they do not agree to continue working a controversial 33 additional non-teaching hours per year, the Government has warned.

Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) voted several weeks ago to withdraw from working these hours, which were introduced under the Croke Park pay deal in 2010. The hours are typically used for school planning and staff meetings, but are widely resented by many union members who regard them as "detention for teachers".

The executive of the ASTI is due to meet on Monday and is likely to consider any direction that should be given to members in light of the vote.

Additional hours requirement

In a letter to the trade union the Department of Education said : “In the absence of formal confirmation from you by June 30th that ASTI members will co-operate with the terms of the Lansdowne Road agreement, including the workings of the additional hours requirement provided for under the Croke Park, Haddington Road and Lansdowne Road agreements, it will be taken that ASTI members will cease co-operating with the agreement with effect from July 1st, 2016.”

The department said in that event a number of measures would fall to be applied from Thursday. These include a freeze on increments for ASTI members, non-payment of nearly €800 for supervision and substitution duties which is due to be restored from September, loss of protection against compulsory redundancy and the non-implementation of planned arrangements under which temporary teachers would be considered for permanent posts only after two years rather than four.

Should the union continue to fail to co-operate with the Lansdowne Road deal in the medium term, “then further measures may be considered”, the department said.

In a separate letter to the ASTI, Minister for Education Richard Bruton said he would prefer if these "consequences" were avoided and proposed further talks with the union.

Invitation

“With that in mind, I am again extending my invitation to your union to discuss issues of concern and I genuinely believe that it would be in the best interests of your members and the school system as a whole for you to engage with my department on this,” the letter said.

The Minister added: “The members of ASTI have exercised their democratic mandate and I respect their right to do so.

“However, there are serious consequences for your members in opting out of the Lansdowne Road agreement, as has been explained by my officials in separate correspondence . This correspondence also sets out the formal procedural arrangements that will come into force.”

The ASTI has said previously that it would ballot members on industrial action up to and including strike action if the Government moved to worsen the terms and conditions of members.