Pressure is building on the Government to speed up elements of the national pay deal for teachers in order to dampen growing anger in the profession.
The Government is expected to respond shortly to demands to bring forward the bench-marking element of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), which rewards teachers for changes in their working methods. Under the PPF, this additional money would not be paid until 2003, but both the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) want this timetable shortened significantly.
The expected move by the Government on bench-marking comes as the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), which walked out of the PPF negotiations, begins balloting members on industrial action.
The union is seeking a 30 per cent pay increase immediately, whereas the PPF offers 19 per cent over three years. According to a confidential strategy document circulated last week, ASTI is planning a national one-day strike on Tuesday, November 14th, plus a series of other one-day strikes in various regions. ASTI members are expected to support the range of options in the strike ballot, which include possible disruption of the Leaving and Junior Cert exams.
With ASTI already isolated from the other teaching unions, a Government decision to bring forward bench-marking in response to the other teaching unions could create difficulties for ASTI, especially if it is combined with tax cuts or other concessions which may flow from the current review of the PPF.
Last night, the TUI general secretary, Mr Jim Dorney, warned of "an industrial relations explosion in the education sector" if bench-marking is not brought forward. The TUI has already threatened to ballot on industrial action unless its members are compensated for the rise in inflation.
Senator Joe O'Toole, general secretary of the INTO, told The Irish Times last night that a new timetable for bench-marking and significant concessions in the PPF review were now essential.
"If this does not happen, the whole PPF could begin to unravel. It will be an industrial relations nightmare," he said.
ASTI, meanwhile, has instructed its members to withdraw from Government working parties, commissions and councils, including the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the working group on Relationships and Sexuality Education and the National Educational Psychological Service steering group.
It has also instructed members "not to participate in or organise in-service education and training in relation to new syllabuses and/or programmes to be introduced in schools" in the current school year.
The union is taking this action in protest at what it calls "the Government's decision not to enter into meaningful negotiations" on its claim. The Government has refused to enter discussions with ASTI since it walked out of the PPF negotiations. Any concession by the Government to ASTI could create difficulties for the INTO and the TUI, which backed the PPF.
This weekend's meeting of the ASTI executive condemned the decision of the Public Service Arbitration Board to reject its 30 per cent pay claim. Mr Charlie Lennon, the union's general secretary, said the board had not addressed the basis of the ASTI claim.
Among other things, the ASTI is seeking compensation for the rise in inflation, recognition of the contribution made by teachers to economic growth, and a share in the current economic prosperity.
Mr Lennon said the union expected to have the overwhelming support of its 16,000 members in the ballot on strike action. In his view, a 60 per cent pay increase was required to compensate teachers fully for the work they have done.