The prospect of industrial action by teachers over the issue of performance-related pay has increased significantly.
A meeting of the executive of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) broke up with a warning it would take "whatever industrial action is necessary" if performance-related pay forms part of the new national pay agreement.
The 180-member central executive committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) meets this morning to decide whether to leave the Irish Congress of Trade Union (ICTU) because of its agreement to talk about performance-related pay with the Government.
It will also decide whether to ballot its members on industrial action over an existing pay claim. It says secondary teachers have fallen behind other public sector groups, like gardai and nurses, in recent years.
Anger among many ASTI members has meant the existing pay claim and performance-related pay in the future have become closely linked. ASTI sources said the industrial action might not necessarily involve a strike, but withdrawing co-operation with school managements instead.
The standing committee of the ASTI, which is closely linked to the central executive committee, was addressed last night by the general secretary of ICTU, Mr Peter Cassells.
Mr Cassells attempted to clarify for the committee's members the elements of a "performance management system" which might be agreed with the Government.
He also clarified how the ICTU was trying to advance the teachers' existing pay claim, known as the "early settlers" issue. This is a pay claim secondary teachers have lodged with the Government in which they say they have lost out because they settled early in the last national pay round.
Mr Cassells's presentation took more than an hour and it was unclear if it would have a major bearing on today's vote. The vote was expected to be close and it is possible a decision to leave the ICTU and take industrial action may be deferred.
Mr Cassells and the ICTU have been emphasising all week that "individualised" performance-related pay is not on the table in the talks with the Government. However, some ASTI members believe a system involving individual assessment of teachers work in relation to pay is on the cards.
Government sources who have spoken to The Irish Times have stated that a group system of performance-related pay is being sought, but not one involving individual appraisal of teachers' work.
Instead the Government would like groups of teachers sitting down with management and identifying strengths and weaknesses in the school. For participating in this process teachers would have a chance to increase their pay, said the sources.
The president of the TUI, Mr Joe Carolan, said that apart from performance-related pay, the union also demanded that "substantial payments are made to teachers who settled early in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work agreement".
He said the TUI planned to meet the ASTI next week and agree a common approach to performance-related pay. Unlike the ASTI, the TUI has not at this stage decided to put a motion to leave ICTU before its executive. However, Mr Carolan said if the national pay deal contained "any form" of performance-related pay it would leave the ICTU.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has taken a different approach to the issue, with its general secretary, Mr Joe O'Toole, emphasising the opportunities for teachers in a performance-related pay system.