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The union said it should be particularly attractive for teachers at the start of their careers. Alamy Stock Photo
INTO
Primary teachers union says it will back pay deal
The INTO said it would also accept the ‘disappointing’ decision to delay certain localised pay increases until after 2029.
THE UNION REPRESENTING primary school teachers has said it will urge members to accept the proposed public sector pay deal, with voting to take place later this month.
However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has taken a different stance to fellow teacher unions on one aspect of the deal, as it has said it will accept the “disappointing” decision to delay certain localised pay increases until after 2029.
The INTO said the proposed agreement is the “best that could be achieved”, adding that it should be “particularly attractive” for teachers at the start of their careers.
Under the terms of the deal, annual basic pay for primary teachers would rise from €45,833 to €47,033, an increase of €1,200.
In a joint statement on Thursday night, the ASTI and TUI said they had “serious concern” after learning local bargaining provisions will be less than had been originally promised.
Local bargaining allows trade unions to negotiate custom pay adjustments in workplaces, as a way of addressing pay anomalies or recruitment bottlenecks that impact on members’ pay.
While unions say there had been plans for a 2% pay increase for teachers under local bargaining arrangements, they said that half of this pay bump has been delayed now until after the new public sector agreement expires in March 2029.
The remaining 1% is instead to only kick in as part of a successor public sector agreement.
In its statement on the state of play on Friday, the INTO said its central executive committee (CEC) had decided to recommend a yes vote to members on the proposed deal.
“While the CEC is disappointed that there is only 1% for local bargaining within the agreement, it notes that the third 1% for this process will be paid in the next agreement,” INTO General secretary John Boyle said.
Boyle paid credit to the union’s teachers for helping to pressure the government from its “insulting initial offer of a mere 5.75% increase” to the final offer of 10.75%.
“INTO members who stood on picket lines last month and supported rallies planned for this month deserve full credit for the substantially improved offer,” Boyle said.
An online vote of INTO members is to take place from 23 November to 3 December, with other public sectors to also hold ballots over the coming weeks.
Other major public sector unions, including Forsa, were contacted and did not respond in time for publication.
The Department of Education and Department of Public Expenditure were also contacted for comment.
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