The decision came as the 14,000 strong union’s Executive Committee met today to consider its response to this week’s pay levy (labelled a pension levy by government) and made a number of recommendations which it will be issuing to members in the coming days.

Non-teaching/lecturing duties

The education service has been decimated by cutbacks and now a pay cut has been imposed in a most unjust and unfair manner. 

TUI will reconsider all the additional duties, many of dubious educational value, and we will recommend that teachers cut out extraneous duties so as to focus the effort on the core duties of teaching and lecturing. 

We will protect front line service as far as we can but other non-teaching duties must of necessity go by the board. 

For example we will be recommending that members do not engage in inspection procedures in schools including Whole School Evaluations (WSEs) and additional supervision and substitution in schools or Performance Management Development Systems (PMDS) procedures in Institutes of Technology.

Partnership is over for now. In the eyes of TUI it died last Tuesday when the Taoiseach imposed what had been rejected the previous night. 

Public service action.

There is unparalleled and unprecedented anger among our members over recent developments. The government must realise it is sitting on a timebomb in this regard.

We will consider all forms of action after meeting with other public service unions.

We support the holding of a meeting of all four teacher unions – TUI, INTO, ASTI and IFUT - to find common cause and strategy with our colleagues.

We will bring proposals to other public service unions for a mass demonstration in opposition to the unilateral imposition of this levy. In this regard we place no limits on what this opposition might be.  

What are employers doing?

The TUI Executive Committee today called on leaders in all sectors of society to lead by example and to show what they are doing to bear the national burden at this time. Employers’ leaders, in particularly IBEC, wealthy employers, developers, bankers and public service leaders should let it be publicly known what they are doing to assist in this national emergency and what sacrifices they are making.

Public Servants Unfairly Targeted

Public servants have been asked to take the hit by the imposition of additional levy on their pay. They now pay

·        a pension levy of 6.5%,

·        PRSI of 4%,

·        a health levy of 2%,

·        tax at the appropriate rate,

·        an income levy introduced in January 2009 and

·        now an additional levy of up to 10%. 

In addition public servants - teachers included - are losing their jobs. TUI estimates that in excess of 600 will lose jobs by September.

Public sector salaries and pensions are in the public domain – they are public knowledge. Any commentator who ventures into public comment must be prepared to reveal their remuneration package, including pay, pension and other aspects. Commenting on the public sector must open oneself to such questions. ENDS