DEIRDRE CRONIN,
Madam, - Sean Flynn (Education & Parenting, December 10th) believes that the ASTI general secretary, Charlie Lennon, is entitled to tell the "militants" in his union "I told you so". However, many teachers in the TUI and INTO feel that ASTI members are entitled to tell us "we told you so". As the only union that remained outside of social partnership last time around, the ASTI's stance has been justified by the current state of affairs in education.
Benchmarking was not the ATM machine Joe O'Toole assured us it would be. Instead we have an outside chance of getting 13 per cent, with many strings attached. The PPF promises of improving our education system are dead in the water. Students will be denied access to extra learning support, thousands of children will continue to attend dangerously sub-standard school buildings and the freezing of capitation grants in the Budget means that this year's funding will not even keep pace with inflation.
Many of us are left wondering just how the 30 per cent pay claim would have been dealt with if we had joined our ASTI colleagues in taking action in 2000/2001.The issues are much broader than pay and if partnership didn't deliver at the height of the Celtic Tiger it certainly won't do so now. With this Government launching a vicious assault on the public sector, it may be time to emulate our trade union colleagues in Italy, France and Greece by taking strike action in pursuit of decent pay and services. - Yours, etc.,
DEIRDRE CRONIN, (INTO member), Ludford Road, Ballinteer,
Dublin 16.