Salary for teachers’ union chief restored to almost €200,000

The salary of the general secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) will climb to almost €200,000 after members voted to end a voluntary pay cut following the economic crash more than a decade ago.

A large majority of delegates at the INTO annual congress supported increasing John Boyle’s salary to €199,000, the same as a deputy secretary in the Civil Service.

It is believed to be an increase of more than €20,000 on his current pay.

Similarly, the salary of INTO deputy general secretary Deirdre O’Connor is being restored to the pre-cuts equivalent of a Civil Service principal (higher) grade, plus 12.5 per cent.

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Ms O’Connor’s salary will now be in the region of between €105,000 and €145,000.

Their predecessors volunteered to take pay cuts after the financial crash more than a decade ago.

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Their gesture was in solidarity with their members on whom pay cuts and two-tier pay scales were imposed by the government of the day.

The move to reverse the cuts was supported by an estimated 80 per cent or more of delegates at a private session of the INTO conference yesterday, according to informed sources.

However, there was some disagreement and opposition. One delegate who opposed the motion said it was “too much money for a trade union leader to be making” and risked putting them “out of touch with their members”.

The INTO declined to comment on the issue.

The union campaigned for more than 10 years to reverse pay cuts imposed on members.

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Union sources say the gap has now been bridged and the INTO has finished its campaign on the basis that future earnings are protected. However, critics say not all of the historic losses have been restored.

Pay will be a major theme at the teacher conferences this week with unions looking ahead to the next public service pay deal.

Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) president Kevin Callinan told the INTO conference yesterday that cost of living would be a key issue in talks expected to start in coming months.

Mr Callinan also warned that if the Government withdrew cost of living supports and if prices remain elevated, “the shortfall would have to be made good in wage bargaining across the economy”.