TEACHERS AND third-level academic staff are being asked to work an additional hour every week under proposals tabled in current talks between the Government and public service unions.
The proposals – drawn up by senior Department of Education officials – echo those made in the McCarthy report.
This was scathing about teacher contracts at second level and work practices in the institutes of technology.
The main features of the new reform package include:
Teachers:
The provision, with effect from the start of the 2010/11 school year, of an additional hour per week to be available to facilitate, at the discretion of management, school planning, continuous professional development, induction, substitution and supervision
Full implementation of new procedures providing for redeployment of surplus teachers.
A comprehensive review and revision of the teaching contract by the start of the 2010/11 school year.
Institutes of technology :
The completion by April 30th, 2010, of the review of the current academic employment contract.
The provision of an additional hour per week to be available to facilitate, at the discretion of management, all educational activities in the institutes.
Flexible delivery of new courses specifically targeted at unemployed individuals of the 2010/11 academic year.
Universities and other third-level colleges:
The provision of an additional hour per week (as above).
Co-operation with redeployment and reorganisation. . . arising from the review of higher-education strategy.
Meanwhile, Garda members face individual evaluations of their performance and will be asked for more flexibility in rostering arrangements, according to draft proposals under discussion between the Government and Garda representative bodies.
It is also envisaged that civilianisation of the force, which has long been promised but remains only partly implemented, would be accelerated by transfers of civilian staff from other areas of the public service into the force. This would free more gardaí from administrative work for frontline policing.
The new proposals around rostering are aimed at better matching Garda personnel with policing pressures.
The Defence Forces and Irish Prison Service are facing a comprehensive shake-up to the terms of their employment, according to the Government’s draft proposals, which have been published by Industrial Relations News magazine.
A commitment has been given to maintain the Defence Forces at 10,000, suggesting the Government is open to easing the recruitment moratorium.
The draft documents also state further barracks closures may occur.
Prison officers are being asked to reduce their working day from 11 hours to 9.5 hours.