Govt stands firm on ASTI pay demands
The Government has told the Association of Secondary Teachers that it will only deal with their pay concerns through national wage agreements.
In a statement released following a meeting today, Education Minister Noel Dempsey said the ASTI presented its case for a pay increase and highlighted the gap between teachers’ pay and that of people in comparable private sector employment.
However, the minister said the Government will only address the matter within the framework of national pay agreements.
The ASTI also asked Mr Dempsey to defer the introduction of new syllabi in schools this year because its members have not participated in preparation for the new courses.
However, the request appears to have been denied, with the minister asking the teachers not to use syllabus changes in the biology and home economics subjects as part of their industrial action.
The two sides are expected to meet again.
