statement following ICTU PSC meeting
(08 Mar 2010)
Commenting following today’s ICTU Public Services Committee, a TUI spokesperson said:
“TUI, in conjunction with its colleagues in other teacher unions, has a mandate from its members for taking forms of industrial action up to and including strike action and is prepared to escalate this action and to consider commencing a campaign of strike action. The union has no desire to implement this and will do so only as a last resort in the event of Government’s failure to engage in discussions relating to the reversal of the pay and pension cuts imposed on its members.
TUI is not suggesting change in return for reversal of pay cuts and the drastic changes to the pension scheme and has no desire to exchange such changes for the reversal of the cuts. TUI does not subscribe to the need for massive transformation in the education system in the direction being sought by Government. The only transformation TUI wants to see is a transformation in the resources being allocated to education. Teachers and lecturers as educators are engaged in continuing and ongoing change in terms of teaching methods, assessment modes, course development and changing social patterns. Change of this form is nothing new for teachers.
Like all public sector workers, teachers have been demoralised by a litany of attacks on their pay, work and conditions in recent times. The TUI has a mandate for industrial action and will be discussing in the coming days with the other teacher unions how it will be implemented.
In common with the other public service unions, TUI believes that pay cuts should be reversed and pension provision protected. In the current climate, it is also vital that other damage inflicted on the education system as a result of recent cutbacks is remedied.”