Teachers' union suspends industrial action
THE Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has suspended its industrial action which banned parent-teacher and school- planning meetings after school hours.
It also voted by a massive majority to suspend its ban on the rotation of duties undertaken by assistant principals and special-duties teachers in second-level schools.
The union will now go into talks with the Department of Education and Skills on the implementation of the Croke Park Agreement.
It provides for an extra hour of work a week, a new redeployment scheme and other changes in return for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
The Irish Independent revealed last month that around 100 lecturers in institutes of technology faced compulsory redundancy because there were no longer sufficient numbers of apprentices for them to teach.
The threat prompted the union executive to order a ballot of all members in secondary schools and institutes. They have agreed by a huge majority to suspend the action.
A total of 6,335 voted in favour of temporarily suspending industrial action, while 1,186 voted against. TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said it was important to clarify that this result did not signify acceptance of the Croke Park deal.
"TUI expects that it will now be able to partake in ongoing discussions with the Department of Education and Skills, along with the other teacher unions," Mr MacMenamin said yesterday.
"Any subsequent proposals as a result of these discussions will be put before TUI members by way of a new ballot before anything is agreed."
- John Walshe Education Editor
Irish Independent
