Industrial Action 13/03/09

Statement by John Carr, INTO General Secretary, on Industrial Action

13th March 2009
 
INTO Executive meeting decides to support work stoppage on 30th March and to examine work to rule options.
 
The Executive Committee of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation decided today to support the call by ICTU for a one day work stoppage on 30th March. The decision will close the country’s 3,200 primary schools.  
 
The primary teachers’ union also decided that a special subcommittee of the Executive would examine proposals for a work to rule in primary schools. The subcommittee will report to the full executive at the end of the month.
 
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.
 
The meeting follows last weekend’s vote for industrial action, up to and including strike action by primary teachers. The union’s call for industrial action was backed by 79% of primary teachers.
 
Speaking after the meeting INTO General Secretary John Carr said everything is on the table and he ruled nothing out in relation to a work to rule.
 
“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 twenty percent of salary before any budget changes are imposed next month.”
 
He said for more than twenty years primary teachers have 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 under-funded and under-staffed education system.”
 
ENDS.