The teacher unions have signalled to the Government that, regardless of the outcome of the nurses' dispute, their 40,000 members will be submitting a significant "catch-up" pay claim. The figure is likely to be well over 10 per cent.
Yesterday the leaders of the three teacher unions issued a joint statement announcing that they will be recommending to their executives the lodging of a claim for a major review of pay and allowances. They have also decided to set up "a working party to examine a structure and parameters for such a review. The outcome of the working party's deliberations will be reported to a meeting of the joint executives of the three teacher unions in late October".
The executives of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, and the Teachers' Union of Ireland are expected to endorse the call for a review when they meet separately later this month. The INTO general secretary, Mr Joe O'Toole, said a review was necessary "because teachers currently feel very unhappy and under-rewarded for the element of change demanded from them, and for their contribution to the growth of the economy".
The ASTI general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, said the unions were taking this initiative in response to the anger of their members. "Their co-operation with change in the education system is reflected in current economic prosperity and should be recognised in their pay," he said.
The timetable for drawing up the review claim means it will not be presented until after the October 18th deadline for the nurses' strike. It will also follow the opening of discussions between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Government on the possible shape of a successor to Partnership 2000.
As such it is clearly meant to allow teachers to keep their options open on the best industrial strategy to pursue in the light of other developments.