Teacher unions split over public pay agreement
THE country's largest teachers' union has voted by an overwhelming margin of 65 per cent to 35 per cent -- or nearly two to one -- in favour of acceptance of the Croke Park Agreement on public service pay and reform.
The ballot by post of the INTO's 32,000 strong membership produced a 66 per cent turnout -- some 13,655 members voted to accept the agreement while 7,273 rejected the proposals.
The acceptance of the Croke Park Agreement by the country's largest teacher union will come as a welcome boost for the Government as it seeks to bring further stability to the public finances.
The INTO result, which came late on Friday night, followed the rejection of the package by the two other teachers' unions, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI).
ASTI members voted to reject the deal by 62 per cent to 38 per cent, TUI members opposed it by a margin of 75 per cent to 25 per cent.
Speaking after the INTO result was announced, the union's general secretary Sheila Nunan said that the Croke Park Agreement provided a measure of protection for workers and their families at a time of great economic difficulty. "The agreement gives some certainty on pay and jobs despite clear warnings of further substantial cuts to public spending," she said, describing its provisions as a strategic, protective strategy for workers.
The INTO poll came off the back of an intense debate on the matter at the union's annual conference in Galway at Easter, and a close vote of delegates on motions dealing with the agreement.
While the ASTI and TUI voted down the Croke Park proposals, it is expected that both unions will delay any further protest action until after a key meeting of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) scheduled for next month.
That meeting will make the final decision on the deal based on the overall result of ballots by the country's public service unions.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Ictu's public service committee, Peter McLoone, has said he believes a majority of public service staff will vote in favour of the Croke Park Agreement.
He said no one was turning cartwheels about the terms of the agreement.
However, Mr McLoone added that the agreement represented the most solid foundation stone for maintaining jobs, pay and pensions as well as public services.
- RONALD QUINLAN
Originally published in
