Civil Service union leaders have warned there cannot be "special treatment" for teachers "outside the benchmarking process or the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness".
In a clear reference to the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, the general secretary of the Public Service Executive Union told delegates at the opening session of their annual conference in Waterford last night that "all bets are off" if any group of public service workers received preferential treatment on pay.
The union president, Mr John Rossiter, said the PPF had come "very close to collapse" because of the strains of the past few months. Much had been written about benchmarking but it was simply a process "about fixing public service pay rates on the basis of fair comparison with rates across the economy".
Referring to comments last week by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, when he "took it upon himself to forecast the results of the benchmarking process for one major group whose pay is being examined", Mr Rossiter said the whole purpose of the process was that it be independent and comprehensive. "If it were to become a cloak for giving a particular group a favourable result then it will cease to have validity."
When the conference resumes today, delegates are due to discuss a 10.30 a.m. starting time for Dublin members to help reduce traffic congestion. They will also be calling for career breaks to be extended from five years to 10 years.
An issue likely to generate rural-urban friction is decentralisation. Provincial delegates are complaining at the lack of promotional opportunities. Even when they are offered promotion, it is usually to Dublin and they cannot afford the cost of relocation. Dublin delegates are likely to resist promotional posts going elsewhere.