Following the acceptance of the Public Service Agreement TUI issued some guidelines in regard to the operation of this by way of a letter dated 11th April 2011. Some time after that the management bodies issued a lengthy document seeking to impose a range of interpretations of provisions in the document. These interpretations in many cases are not shared by TUI and are not interpretations that were discussed between the parties.
Separate but virtually identical documents have been issued by all of the management bodies and they are attempting to impose these on schools. A copy of the IVEA document can be downloaded from the link below and contains a number of comments approved by TUI Executive in blue text intended as guides and assistance for the use of members. These comments apply in exactly the same manner to the ACCS document for C&C schools.
Particular points of note are:
- This was not sent to TUI or agreed with TUI.
- The allocation of the 33 hours cannot be implemented consistently across the range of schools in which TUI organises. To suggest this reveals a lack of understanding of the range of TUI schools.
- It is agreed that there is no provision for the aggregation of lesser periods, however neither is it precluded in the document.
- The minimum block of one hour does not mean that the hour cannot be divided in to two on consecutive days for the one purpose; it remains a block of one hour. Nowhere is it stated that the hour cannot be broken up.
- “Outside of normal school hours” does not preclude the use of lunchtime – provided there are no timetabled classes.
- It is impossible to make the totality of the hours available to the school community in a calendar at the beginning of the year. Program Development, induction, results approval process etc. cannot be put in a calendar.
It must be clearly recognised that the points in this document are TUI interpretations and are not agreed. Local discussion in relation to many of these issues is necessary.
In the event of assistance being required contact should be made with area representatives and branch officers.