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Schools to close as teachers vote for industrial action
13.11.2009
Categories:
Leadership
Both primary and secondary schools across Ireland will close on 24 November after teachers from the three main teachers’ unions voted in favour of industrial action in protest over potential public-sector pay cuts in the upcoming December Budget.
The result was announced by the ASTI, INTO, and TUI trade unions shortly before lunchtime today.
The unions said in a joint statement that their members are taking industrial action as they have “never before faced such a serious threat to their pay, pensions and terms and conditions”.
“Teachers, lecturers and other public-sector workers are being treated as if they are somehow responsible for causing the crisis in the public finances. They are angry at how their sector has already suffered severe cutbacks, both in terms of teacher and lecturer job losses as well as financial support for schools and colleges,” the statement read.
“They are also hurt by their vilification as public servants by certain commentators,” the unions said.
“The results of the ballots undertaken by the teacher unions are a signal to the Government that singling out teachers and other public-sector workers is unacceptable and that an alternative approach to economic recovery must be adopted which ensures that the burden is shared fairly, the vulnerable are protected and that vital public services are maintained. This must be done by taxation as well as economies and not just through cutting essential public services.”
Should teachers strike on 24 November, it will be the first time in almost a quarter of a century that the country’s 65,000 primary and secondary teachers will have withdrawn their services from Irish schools.
Categories:
Leadership