asked the Minister for Education if his Department have authorised local authorities generally to implement the provisions of the national understanding, 1980, so that they may make arrangements for the payment of the weekly pay increase and arrears before Christmas, 1980; and the provisions and date of the appropriate letter of authorisation addressed to local authorities generally.
Written Answers. - VEC Staff Pay Increases.
75.
My Department's responsibility in this regard is in respect of staff employed by vocational education committees. Sanction for the payment of the first phase of the 1980 National Agreement on Pay Policy to personnel employed as caretakers, cleaners, maintenance staff, and so on, issued to all vocational education committees on 26 November 1980 and for clerical and administrative staff on 2 December 1980.
Under an agreed arrangement, a formal claim for payment of the first phase of the 1980 National Agreement on Pay Policy will not be presented to my Department by the CEO's Association until a special pay claim on their behalf, which is at present at arbitration, is finalised. When this takes place, and a formal claim for payment of the first phase of the national agreement is submitted to my Department, arrangements will be made for funds to be made available to the VECs for payment of the appropriate increases in salary.
In the case of teachers in the VEC sector circular Letter No. 71-80 which issued on 2 December 80 authorised, inter alia, payment of increases arising out of the national understanding in the common basic scale, exclusive of the long-phased increments and of increases in allowances, and in salary scales other than common basic scale.