A leading figure in the secondary teachers' dispute has denied the union is split.
Ms Bernadine O'Sullivan, a former ASTI president, said she had "absolute and total confidence" in the leaders of the union. Their negotiating position had been immeasurably strengthened by the weekend events. The union agreed to reenter a mediation process - only if money docked during the work to rule was refunded.
Speaking on Today FM's The Last Word, she said the rejection of the peace formula - against the wishes of the union leadership - highlighted the vibrant sense of democracy in the union. Like other unions - notably the nurses - ASTI members had rejected one offer and asked the leadership to get a better deal. This was standard trade union practice and ASTI was being unfairly pilloried, she claimed.
No peace moves are expected for several days. The Labour Relations Commission has still to re-enter the process.
ASTI is expected to seek the support of other unions in an effort to disrupt plans by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, to hold the State exams without its co-operation.
Contrary to a report in this newspaper yesterday, a motion seeking this was not passed at the weekend meeting of the Central Executive Committee. The motion was prepared during the meeting but was not voted on.
However, the more militant group within the union will seek the support of the Teachers' Union of Ireland and the Irish Federation of University Teachers in the next week.
The issue is likely to be discussed at a meeting of the union's executive on Friday. ASTI may also raise it during a joint meeting with the executives of TUI and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation on the same day. TUI president Mr John Mac Gabhann said the union would carefully consider any request from ASTI on exams. The TUI, he said, was opposed to non-teaching personnel correcting exam papers. The union raised objections last year when the Department of Education used final-year university students to correct Junior Cert Civil Social and Political Education papers.
Mr Mac Gabhann also expressed concern about any threat to the Junior Cert. Students had worked for three years and the integrity of their exam must be preserved. Department officials had examined the possible cancellation of the Junior Cert as one option. But officials insist it will proceed as normal. "There is no question; the Junior Cert will take place," an official said.
Meanwhile, the Dail Committee on Education is to investigate the teachers' dispute at a session next week. The meeting had been demanded by the Fine Gael spokesman on education, Mr Enda Kenny. It is expected that Dr Woods and ASTI will be asked to attend.
The Minister for Education's decision to dock teachers' pay "flies in the face of the principle of work to rule", Labour's spokeswoman on education, Ms Roisin Shortall, said.