Secondary teachers are planning to close over 600 schools in a national one-day strike on Tuesday, November 14th, according to a confidential strategy document on their pay dispute.
The strike by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, is likely to be followed by four regional one-day strikes. The strategy committee proposes that these additional stoppages will be organised as follows:
Munster region - Tuesday, November 21st.
Connacht/Ulster - Thursday, November 23rd.
Leinster excluding Dublin - Tuesday, November 28th.
Dublin - Thursday, November 30th.
A total of 620 schools and 350,000 students will be affected.
The strike strategy document, which will be considered by the ASTI executive tomorrow, says teachers will be involved in pickets at schools or in demonstrations outside the Department of Education offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore during the one-day strike. A demonstration is also planned for outside the Dail.
The document says other options will be considered in the light of the Government response to the strikes. As expected, the strategy group does not rule out disruption of the Leaving and Junior Cert exams, if the Government refuses to compromise.
The strategy outlined by the ASTI strike sub-committee is expected to be endorsed by the union's executive at tomorrow's meeting. The union's 16,000 members will be balloted on the full range of strike options up to and including disruption of exams in the coming weeks. The ASTI leadership appears confident that the membership will support the strategy.
Next week the ASTI will begin the first phase of its action by withdrawing from various Department of Education committees and working groups. It will also withdraw from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
The Government has signalled its determination to face down the ASTI demand, since the union walked out of negotiations on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.