Asti conference: The prospect of the Asti rejoining the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) moved a step closer yesterday after delegates at its annual conference voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for a national ballot of its 17,000 members on the issue.
However, the State's largest second-level union is to first seek clarification from ICTU on how reaffiliation would affect its policies on key issues such as pensions, productivity and pay.
This followed the adoption, by a margin of just 166 to 160, of an amendment which also called for the preparation of a briefing document for members on the advantages and disadvantages of such a move.
This will be compiled by a high-level committee, which would ordinarily include Asti president Susie Hall and acting general secretary John White.
A series of regional meetings to inform members and to allow "full debate" on affiliation to ICTU will be followed by the presentation of a report by the committee to Asti's executive.
This is due to take place by January of next year at the latest, with the national ballot to be held after this.
Commenting on the result, Mr White said it meant there would be "extensive" information provided to members prior to a national ballot.
Yesterday's three-hour-long private debate, described by one delegate as "relatively good-humoured", is understood to have heard claims that the amendment simply represented an attempt to delay any decision on rejoining ICTU.
But others pointed out that it was necessary to inform members fully on the "pros and cons" of such a move in advance of a national ballot.
The other two main teaching unions, the INTO and the TUI, are both affiliated to ICTU.
Meanwhile, delegates earlier supported a motion calling on the Asti to campaign vigorously that all teachers who have served continuous fixed-term contracts of four years or more are offered permanent positions.
A motion calling for the payment of all back money due to part-time teachers, some of whom the Asti estimates are owed up to €30,000, was also passed unanimously.
This followed warnings from union official Bernard Moynihan that the Asti will engage in strong protests, up to and including industrial action, unless delays in the payment of back money owed to non-permanent teachers are addressed.
Some 3,500 (20 per cent) of the Asti's members are now on temporary contracts.
Yesterday's conference also heard passionate testimony from a non-permanent teacher about the difficulties she and her colleagues face.
According to Siobhán Smyth, who is now in her 10th year as a non-permanent teacher, many teachers in her position can struggle to secure mortgages and loans, and are left facing into the summer holidays "wondering if they will have a job to go to in the following summer".