The Minister for Education Dr Woods has welcomed the decision by secondary teachers not to include this year's Junior and Leaving Cert exams following their decision last night to continue their industrial action.
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Dr Michael Woods
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The result of the ballot of the 17,000 members of the Association of Secondary School Teachers of Ireland saw teachers vote by nearly three to two to reject a pay settlement aimed at ending their long-running industrial dispute.
They also voted by more than three to one not to resume strike action designed to disrupt this year's state examinations.
The Minister also reiterated his belief that the best way for the teachers to pursue their claim was throught the bench marking body.
Fine Gael has called on the Government to work with the social partners in attempt to solve the teachers' dispute.
"In collaboration with the social partners, the Government must try to work a formula that doesn't breach social partnership," said the party's education spokesman, Mr Michael Creed.
The ballot, the counting of which was completed earlier than expected yesterday evening, revealed that 57% of voting ASTI members wished to reject the state's Labour Court's pay recommendation, while 43% were in favour.
With 77% of the union's members participating in the vote, it was announced that 77% were against disrupting the exams.
ASTI President Mr Don McCluskey said last evening: ``Members have voted to continue with a campaign of industrial action in pursuit of a pay claim.
``The result shows the determination of teachers to achieve a professional pay scale.''
A programme of industrial action, adopted at the union's annual convention in April, will be put to a ballot of members ``as soon as possible'', an ASTI spokeswoman said. The action, which could include suspension of playground supervision, would begin in September.
PA