National school teachers around the country will today begin a ballot on up to three days’ industrial action in what they say is a response to threats to pay, pensions and conditions of employment.
Nine meetings of the 151 branches of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) will be held tonight and the union’s executive has called for support of the strike action.
Incoming INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said it was clear the Government was actively considering further cuts to public sector pay and pensions in the run-up to the Budget in December.
She said if the recommendations of the McCarthy report on public expenditure was implemented, teachers would face longer hours, more work, and salary cuts of more than €50 million a year.
Ms Nunan said that in March of this year primary teachers had voted for industrial action.
“However, strike action at that time was deferred to facilitate further talks with government.”
No “meaningful engagement” had taken place in the intervening months, Ms Nunan said.
Ms Nunan said the INTO would not take strike action on a unilateral basis but would work in a co-ordinated way with other public sector unions and especially the other teacher unions (ASTI, IFUT and TUI).
The decision to ballot for industrial action was not taken lightly by the union’s exeecutive, she said.
“Teachers are fully aware of the economic challenges facing the country and have already incurred a significant reduction intake home pay. However, the current challenges must not be addressed by placing an unfair and disproportionate burden on public sector workers.”
The overall outcome of the INTO’s ballot will be known on Monday November 16th.
