IF the secondary school management bodies reject the Government's latest offer on teachers' pay and conditions, the Minister for Education may seek to have it implemented anyway, The Irish Times has learned.
The latest offer, made in December during negotiations on implementing the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, provides for 400 early retirement places annually; improved procedures for teachers applying for early retirement; and a reduction in the number of time tabled hours laid down for non teaching duties.
The biggest teachers' union concerned, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), rejected the Government's original proposals, partly on the basis that they made merit the main criterion for promoting teachers. The Department of Education conceded the union's demand that all middle ranking teacher appointments, apart from that of deputy principal, should continue to be based on seniority.
Earlier this month, the ASTI's executive voted by one vote to recommend the revised deal to its members. A result of the ballot of the union's 15,000 members is expected by the middle of next month.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) will hold a special delegate conference on the agreement early next month. If it decides to hold a ballot, the result should be available by mid March.
It is understood that the main secondary school management bodies are strongly against any agreement which continues to promote teachers on seniority rather than merit. The general secretary of the Joint Management Body, Mr George O'Callaghan, said yesterday the JMB would strongly oppose any attempt by the Minister to impose proposals under the PCW.
After a meeting of its standing council yesterday, the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) reaffirmed its commitment to "the principle of merit as the core value of all promotions in the VEC system".