The three teacher unions are discussing a common approach to pay in the next round of national agreement negotiations, writes Andy Pollak, Education Correspondent. The INTO, the ASTI and the TUI have been meeting since Christmas and are hoping to present the same motion on future pay demands to their union conferences next month.
All three unions are unhappy that in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW) in the mid-1990s they settled early for 3 per cent, which rose to just under 6 per cent during the life of the agreement. However, other public sector groups such as gardai and nurses refused to reach early agreement with the Government, and held out for increases of 11-14 per cent.
There is considerable anger among teachers that upper pay limits which they believe were inflexibly adhered to by the Government in negotiations with them were later relaxed for other public sector groups. This is reflected in the number of motions on pay at the three union conferences.