The Government is digging in over the teachers' dispute and will not accept any compromise on the docking of pay and on the national pay deal, according to senior sources.
While the mediator in the dispute, Mr Tom Pomphrett, is expected to make a new push for a compromise ahead of next Friday's executive meeting of the Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI), negotiators remain gloomy about getting a solution in the short term.
The next phase of ASTI's campaign begins tomorrow when a one-day strike will close hundreds of secondary schools in Dublin. Schools in other regions will close on Wednesday and Thursday. ASTI plans to close schools for nine days between now and Easter. It is planning a ban on State exams from early next month.
Last night, Mr Pomphrett said he had no reason at this time to table any new proposals as there was no hint of movement from either side. "I have no indication that a proposal at this time would stand any chance of being successful," he said.
The dispute is now deadlocked over the Government's decision to dock teachers' pay for their work-to-rule action in November. The ASTI wants a full refund without preconditions. The Government is unwilling to do this. One source said: "There is no prospect of this. If we said OK to a work-to-rule, teachers could effectively close the schools - and expect to get paid for it."
Senior sources said Mr Pomphrett may now try to sidestep the docking of pay issue and instead concentrate on the ASTI's demand for a 30 per cent pay increase. Mr Pomphrett also faces difficulties here: the Government insists that any pay deal for the ASTI must be determined by the benchmarking pay review body established under the framework of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF).
Department of Finance sources have denied any division of opinion within Cabinet on the pay docking issue. It is understood the Department of Education was willing to adopt a more flexible approach to the issue but Finance insists there is no fundamental disagreement.
Mr Pomphrett last night said he would continue to make contacts with all sides in the hope of coming up with a workable compromise. Because the last proposal from Mr Pomphrett was rejected - despite strong support from the ASTI leadership - both sides want to frame an agreement which is certain to gain grassroots support.
The hope is that Mr Pomphrett will be in a position to frame a new proposal in time for Friday's meeting of the 23member ASTI standing committee or executive. But this is by no means certain.
The group which represents secondary school parents is in disarray after a weekend meeting marked by resignations and bitter recriminations. Several leading officers of the National Parents' Council - Post-Primary, including its president, Ms Rose Tully, and its spokesman, Mr John Whyte, have resigned.