Sir, – Kenneth Black, a member of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI), writes (Letters, October 25th) that their strike is for pay equality.
Equal pay for equal work is unquestionably moral.
Yet not one of the representations young teachers make refers to the gross inequality of teachers on pension being paid more than teachers at work, or mature teachers earning twice as much (circa €62,000) as those at the bottom of the scale – the latter invariably young teachers (circa €31,000), engaged in the socially essential exercise of home and family building.
The lack of this equality is grossly unjust. There’s no justification for paying age-related salaries if the work is of equal value. It doesn’t happen in competitive areas of work.
Minister for Education Richard Bruton should aim to flatten the payscale, raising the pay of starters, lowering it at the top and abolishing allowances for degrees inessential to the job. The latter can be more than €6,000 a year; it’s feather-bedding. If school managerial bodies, the teachers’ “employers”, showed any sign of prudential management they would have acted long ago in this way.
Pay scales are regulations and should be published by the Minister as Statutory Instruments, laid before the Dáil for approval, and not as at present, produced unilaterally as “circulars” as if the department bore no accountability to the Dáil.
– Yours, etc,
JOHN COLGAN
Leixlip,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – The conflict between the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) and the Government has gotten worse. The attitude of “the beatings will continue until morale improves” can be seen with punishment and threats being issued by the employer, who also happens to be the government, using the draconian financial emergency legislation known as FEMPI.
Meanwhile the majority of the trade unions within ICTU watch the Joint Managerial Body re-enact the 1913 lock-out.
To aid in confidence-building measures, instead of simply paying ASTI to do supervision as was promised under Haddington Road, the Government will let the schools close and refuse to pay teachers of ASTI who are available to go in and teach.
The colossal mismanagement of the industrial relations approach deserves examination. – Yours, etc,
FERGAL CANTON
Cuffesgrange,
Co Kilkenny.