Thousands of primary and secondary schools and community colleges throughout the State will be forced to close for a day on March 30th after three teachers’ unions voted to join a national work stoppage organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Teachers' Union of Ireland - representing about 60,000 teachers between them - today voted to join other workers for the one-day work stoppage.
The decision follows last weekend’s vote by members of the teachers' unions to support industrial action in the wake of the introduction of the Government’s controversial public service pension levy.
The INTO said the decision by its executive committee today to support the strike would close 3,200 primary schools.
A sub-committee will also examine proposals for a work-to-rule in primary schools and will report to the executive at the end of the month, a statement said.
“Such proposals if adopted will be implemented in co-operation with the other teacher unions. A meeting of the three teacher unions to co-ordinate these activities will take place next week.”
INTO general secretary John Carr said everything was “on the table”.
“Teachers have given the union a very strong mandate to oppose the pay cuts dressed up as a pension levy,” said Mr Carr.
“This, added to the abandoning of negotiated pay increases, will see some teachers losing up to 20 per cent of salary before any budget changes are imposed next month.”
Mr Carr said for more than 20 years primary teachers had co-operated with change and modernisation “far beyond what was comprehended in national agreements”.
“There is clearly no mood among teachers to continue propping up an underfunded and understaffed education system.”
The ASTI, which last week voted to take up to two days’ strike action, said the purpose of its support for the one-day stoppage was to express the anger of members at the “inequitable and unfair way in which the government is addressing the economic crisis”.
“Second-level schools are already reeling from the cutbacks announced in the budget which will mean loss of subjects in schools, larger class sizes, and the loss of up to 1,000 jobs in second-level schools.”
The teachers' unions will meet next week to discuss coordination of their campaigns and the possibility of introducing a work-to-rule.
ASTI also said it would hold a special national conference in May to show solidiarity with young teachers in particular.
ASTI represents about 17,000 secondary school teachers in schools attended by about 80 per cent of all secondary students in the State. INTO represents nearly 30,000 primary teachers. TUI represents over 13,000 teachers and lecturers in the public education sector.