ICTU joins talks on teachers' pay

THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions has been called in to help break the deadlock in the talks on teachers' pay and conditions.

The ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, joined the talks on Wednesday amid widespread concern they were about to break down. Officials of the Department of the Taoiseach also participated, a clear sign of the importance the Government attaches to the negotiations.

A further meeting was held yesterday between the three teacher unions, the secretaries of the Departments of Education, Finance and the Taoiseach, and the ICTU. Sources close to the talks reported that some progress" had been made. Talks on a new offer to the State's 40,000 teachers have been proceeding since the summer following the rejection by the two second level unions of the Government's £66.7 million offer on pay, pensions and conditions.

The latest moves reflect a growing feeling that the negotiations will have to be concluded in the next week, whether or not an agreement can be reached. The third union, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, which approved the original offer, is under pressure from its members to press for the immediate implementation of the pensions and promotions aspects of the deal.

In addition, some of the teacher unions have warned they will not agree to a new national pay deal until their own claims are resolved. The votes of the teacher union delegates at ICTU's special conference next week could prove decisive in determining the trade union movement's attitude to a new deal.