ASTI members have voted to reject the ‘Outcome of Talks’ proposals. In a ballot of the union’s 18,300 members.

Members voted by 52.5% to 47.5% to reject the proposals from the Department of Education and Skills.

Commenting on the result of the ballot ASTI President Ed Byrne said:

“Despite the implementation of punitive measures for ASTI members and threats of further measures, ASTI members are standing up for their most vulnerable colleagues and for their students.”

Mr Byrne said teachers who are members of the ASTI have made a difficult but courageous decision in the face of significant threats including redundancies and other unknown penalties.

“This ballot has taken place in the context of strong mandates for the continuation of our industrial action campaigns up to strike action. In the space of 15 months we have balloted our members on five separate occasions. Our members are standing firm and telling us to continue to hold the line on Junior Cycle reform and to vigorously pursue equal pay for equal work for our young teachers,” said the ASTI President.

The ASTI’s 23-member Standing Committee meets next week to consider the outcome of the ballot:

“Standing Committee has already outlined the direction it will be taking on future actions and will meet next week to take the necessary decisions. Our students’ education is a key reason why the proposals were rejected and we will, as always, have due cognisance of the impact of any industrial action on students and their families. However, we believe we have a duty to protect the education of the students sitting in our classrooms today and those students who will be sitting in our classrooms in five years and beyond.”

Mr Byrne concluded by saying the ASTI will continue to champion the repeal of Financial Emergency in the Public Interest legislation. “FEMPI legislation gives the government unwarranted power over public sector employees and their unions. As a consequence we are seeing the dismantling of normal industrial relations in Ireland.”

The turnout in the ballot was 75%.

In addition to current industrial actions, Standing Committee and Central Executive Council have made a number of decisions to be implemented in the event of a rejection of the Outcome of Talks Proposals.

These actions will include:

- ASTI members will continue with the withdrawal from the 33 Croke Park hours.

- The ASTI Directive on Junior Cycle will remain in place.

-The mandate for industrial action up to and including strike action on Junior Cycle Reform remains.

- The mandate to take strike action on the issue of recently qualified teachers remains in force.

- There will be an orderly withdrawal from the supervision and substitution scheme. (It may be necessary to continue doing supervision and supervision unpaid for a period of time to ensure schools do not close). 

- ASTI members will be balloted to withdraw co-operation with initiatives in schools to be agreed by Standing Committee or CEC.

- If necessary, principals or acting principals will be balloted to refuse to co-operate with any request to identify teachers for redundancies.

- In the event of an ASTI member being made redundant as a result of the redeployment scheme being withdrawn from ASTI members, ASTI will ballot its members to take industrial action, up to and including strike action.

Source: ASTI Press Release

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