Teachers: Discussions on school reform are over, unions tell O'Keeffe
TEACHER unions say they will not attend talks with Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe in the new year to discuss cost-saving reforms in schools and colleges.
'It's over' was the message yesterday from unions representing 65,000 teachers and college lecturers after the minister said he would be inviting them in "when the dust settles".
Mr O'Keeffe wants to discuss the reform agenda that was on the table before the collapse of the public service cost-cutting negotiations last week.
As far as the unions were concerned, long-term reform was conditional on the Government accepting unpaid leave.
The unions say that the Government's decision to opt for a pay cut, which was introduced in Wednesday's Budget, has killed social partnership.
The general secretaries and presidents of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), and the Irish Federation on University Teachers (IFUT) met yesterday to consider the impact of the Budget and to plan a response, which could include non-co-operation, work to rule and industrial action.
Rejected
The unilateral imposition of a pay cut in the Budget was completely incompatible with social partnership, which, in the view of the four teacher unions, was now over, they said.
The unions "categorically rejected out of hand any suggestion that talks on the so-called transformation agenda could continue".
Among the reforms envisaged was teachers working an extra hour per week from next September to cover non-teaching duties.
The four unions said yesterday that the Government had its chance to talk last week but spurned the opportunity.
"Those talks are over. They will not be restarted," said a spokesperson.
The minister said he could understand the immediate reaction of the unions.
But he added: "At the end of the day we are going to have to take a further €3bn out and I would prefer to do it in partnership. I hope when the dust settles we will be in a position to engage."
The teacher unions are joining other public sector unions in a mass lobby of the Government's TDs this weekend.
- Katherine Donnelly
Irish Independent
