ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY TEACHERS IRELAND:RETIRED teachers hired to do part-time work in schools are costing taxpayers up to €1,000 per week, secondary school teachers were told at their annual conference yesterday.
Bernard Moynihan, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) industrial relations officer, said this was the estimated additional cost of taking on a retired teacher – compared with that involved in hiring a new entrant to the profession. The differential is that between the new, reduced entry level pay rate and the rate for a retired teacher at the top of the increment scale.
There has been growing controversy about the decision by many school principals to rely on retired teachers to fill part-time vacancies despite the jobs crisis among newly qualified teachers and the huge availability of part-time teachers. More than 25 per cent of all members of the union are part-time or temporary teachers.
More than 1,000 retired teachers worked in primary and second-level schools last year, according to the most recent estimates. Mr Moynihan said it was very difficult to understand how school management cannot secure substitute teachers from the large pool available.
He also warned the Government the union was ready to take legal action under the Unfair Dismissals Act if any attempt was made to replace teachers on their second, third or fourth non-permanent contracts. In their first contract year, teachers do not enjoy the protection of the Act.
“The feeling they are getting is that they may now be in a position where the department may try to dislodge those people and redeploy someone into their job,” Mr Moynihan said.
“I have news for them: you cannot override the law of the land. Our view is that those people are protected by the Unfair Dismissals Act.
“After 365 days plus one you have rights and entitlements under the Act. Should the department proceed, or if that [replacement of teachers] occurs, our intention is to challenge that.”
He said the union had briefed legal representatives in preparation for such an eventuality.
He said 3,200 members paying into the union do not have permanent, full-time jobs, and they now feel very vulnerable in light of recent comments from Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn. “They are seeking advice about what the future holds for them,” he said.
He added that this year was particularly difficult and people feel particularly vulnerable. “There are all sorts of stories out there about redeployment and who is going to be affected by it.”
He also said the new redeployment scheme is generating fear and uncertainty among temporary teachers. Many found themselves losing work to teachers recruited from the redeployment panel.
Mark Walshe from Dublin, a member of the union’s Fight Back group, said the union should drop the pretence that it is in a position to protect new entrants to the profession who face a 14 per cent pay cut. This cut had been facilitated by the Croke Park deal, which the union had endorsed, he said.
On other issues, Sheila Parsons said the union must defend members against a small number of school principals who bully and intimidate teachers.
This was an issue which had been hidden but needed to be exposed. The union must ask the school management bodies to deal effectively with these autocratic leaders, she said.
