ASTI members vote for industrial action over national pay deal

Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) have joined other public sector workers in voting for industrial action over a new national pay deal.Announcing the result of the ballot on Friday, the union, which represents about 20,000 teachers in secondary schools across the country, said its members will participate in the one-day public-sector strike planned for October 14th if it goes ahead. The union said it would be serving notice of the action on the relevant Government departments and management bodies over the course of the day.Ninety-five per cent of the union’s members who participated in the ballot voted in favour of taking action, with a turnout of 56 per cent. READ MOREThe union says teachers will initially withdraw from certain duties, including hours added to their week under the terms of the Croke Park Agreement from Monday, October 5th.The action, however, is likely to have more impact on students and their families on October 14th when many schools are likely to close if the strike goes ahead and teachers picket their workplaces.In a statement issued on Friday, recently appointed ASTI general secretary Linda Kelly said the ballot outcome “gives a clear message to the Government about the depth of feeling amongst teachers”. “Teachers’ pay has fallen significantly behind inflation,” she said. “Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to climb. The Government’s approach to date has shown scant regard for the day-to-day realities faced by teachers and other public service workers.”The union’s president, Richie Bell, said the ASTI is “calling on the Government to commit to meaningful negotiations on closing the pay-inflation gap experienced by teachers and other public service workers”.The other secondary school trade union, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, is due to conclude a similar ballot on industrial action by the end of next week.The Irish National Teachers Organisation, which represents more than 40,000 primary school teachers, has already indicated its members will take action along with other major health sector unions including Fórsa, Siptu, Unite and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.In addition to education, health and local government services are set to be hit by the action, which will begin next Wednesday when several of the unions commence work-to-rules.Members of the Garda Representative Association have also announced several days of action while the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has scheduled a delegate meeting to consider the issue for October 5th.The dispute has been prompted by the breakdown in preliminary talks between the Government and union representatives who sought guarantees cost-of-living issues would be addressed in the early part of any negotiation.The Government has said it is willing to engage in talks without preconditions at any point.