Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 May 2017
131. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to issue a directive on implementing pay deductions for members of teacher unions that rejected working additional hours under the Croke Park Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24939/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra143. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for equating newly qualified teachers since 2011 and those who entered the workforce before; if he will report on discussions with a group (details supplied) on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24952/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 143 together.
ASTI's withdrawal from the Croke Park hours means that the union has repudiated the Lansdowne Road Agreement. The financial and other consequences for ASTI members of failure to co-operate with the terms of the agreement were formally notified to ASTI in June 2016. It was indicated at that time that in the event of continuing failure to co-operate in the medium term, further additional measures may also ensue.
A number of measures are being applied since July 2016 or will be applied to ASTI members in consequence:
- The pay increases for 2012 new entrant teachers that are effective from 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018 do not apply;
- Increments are frozen until July 2018;
- Missing out on inclusion of the S&S allowance of €1,592 into the pay scale – the first moiety of this due on 1 September 2016 (€796) has not been paid;
- The alleviation of the FEMPI Act pay reductions for higher earners has been withdrawn, meaning a further pay reduction of up to €1,769 per teacher;
- Non-application of the €1,000 increase being paid to public servants on 1 April 2017, as brought forward from 1 September 2017 under the LRA;
- The Ward Report measures have been withdrawn and the revised sequence for filling posts is not being applied – both of these would enable fixed-term and part-time teachers to gain permanent, full-time jobs more easily and quickly than before;
- Promotion posts announced in Budget 2017 will not be available;
- The additional teacher allocation/reduction in class contact time from September 2017 for teachers with Junior Cycle classes will not apply;
- No S&S opt-out option;
- No S&S opt-in option;
- Missing out on chance to influence use of Croke Park hours through a review;
- Potential for job losses through compulsory redundancy;
- Withdrawal of enhanced redundancy payment where a teacher is made redundant;
- Potential delay or loss of the pay increase of €1,000 due on 1 September 2017 and the reversal of the pay reductions for higher earners due on 1 April 2017.
Following discussions, the Teachers Conciliation Council published a set of proposals in November for consideration by ASTI members aimed at finding a resolution to their dispute. ASTI members have chosen to reject the proposals put forward aimed at resolving their dispute and in consequence, to reject the Lansdowne Road Agreement. It is regrettable that many ASTI members will now suffer permanent financial losses and loss of other benefits as a result of this choice.
The proposals represented the final outcome of the process and there will be no further offer made to ASTI.
The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers. The agreements also provide for earlier permanency for younger teachers, new promotion opportunities and new flexibilities in working hours.
Any further negotiation on new entrant pay cannot focus on just one sector. A broader assessment of pay and new entrant pay will be informed by the recently published analysis of the Public Service Pay Commission. The Government established the Commission to examine pay levels across the public service, including entry levels of pay. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.
I accept that the teacher unions have outstanding pay demands and that the new entrant deal does not travel the full distance that they set out to achieve. However, it does represent significant progress, and the door is not closed to the trade union movement seeking to advance the issue further in the context of public service pay talks. My colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, invited the Public Services Committee of ICTU to discussions on public service pay and a continued approach to the unwinding of the FEMPI legislation and these discussions are now underway.
