Written answers

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

Department of Education and Skills

Industrial Disputes

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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51. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether present disputes may affect the morale of secondary school teachers and the ability of the system to deliver excellence and innovation as per the programme for Government. [28376/16]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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ASTI has issued a directive to their members to withdraw from the Croke Park hours. These are the 33 hours of additional work per year (less than one hour per week) that were agreed under the Croke Park agreement, to facilitate staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, etc., without closing schools. ASTI's decision to withdraw from these hours means that the union has repudiated the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

The Government has committed to fully implementing the Lansdowne Road Agreement in accordance with the timelines agreed, subject to the continued cooperation of the unions. The Lansdowne Road Agreement remains the framework for public service pay. It is the only framework available for managing the needs of the public service while implementing the reforms that enable us to deliver better public services in the future.

In opting to withdraw from the LRA, ASTI members are also opting to forego a series of benefits and protections. These include avoiding an increment freeze, continuation of the alleviation of the FEMPI Act 2013 pay cut for higher earners, the addition of the €1,592 Supervision and Substitution allowance to the pay scale and protection against compulsory redundancy.

Further significant consequences of withdrawing from the Lansdowne Road Agreement are the withdrawal of the benefits introduced under the Ward Report and the non-application of the revised sequence for the filling of posts/hours, both of which measures enable new teachers to gain permanent employment and full hours more quickly than before. In addition, newly qualified ASTI members will not receive the benefits of the recent agreement reached with TUI and INTO on new entrant pay.

I previously offered that my Department would suspend the implementation of measures associated with ASTI’s repudiation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, if the union suspends their directive to withdraw from the Croke Park hours. This would provide a more constructive context for talks to take place and would avoid disruption in schools. It would also mean that thousands of ASTI teachers would receive the payment for supervision and substitution as well as other benefits and protections under the Lansdowne Road agreement. Unfortunately, ASTI have refused this offer thus far but it remains open.

Despite this, my Department is making arrangements to continue the ongoing discussions with ASTI in relation to their issues of concern. I believe that continuing dialogue between my Department and the ASTI would be in the best interests of schools, parents, students and teachers as is evidenced by the agreements reached with the INTO and TUI. It is regrettable that ASTI seem determined to pursue a route of confrontation rather than dialogue.

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