The Government faces the prospect of a new pay dispute with the ASTI, after its acting general secretary warned it could take industrial action to prevent any changes to teacher pensions.
In his speech to the annual ASTI conference in Killarney yesterday Mr John White said he had always believed that industrial action represented "the failure of negotiation."
However, Government proposals to restrict the number of teachers who can take early retirement had led him to the conclusion that the ASTI should use "every means at its disposal" to prevent such changes. Teachers can currently retire early under a number of pension schemes. However, under plans announced in last year's Budget, the minimum retirement age for new entrants to the profession will be 65.
According to Mr White, an upcoming review of the early retirement scheme for teachers also means there is a risk that current members of the profession would be unable to retire early.
This currently takes place under retirement options known as strands 1, 2 and 3.
"These schemes have been a lifeline to hundreds of our members and we cannot allow their removal," he said.
"I would state to you now in the most unequivocal fashion that our members should defend these schemes by whatever means necessary."
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr White also appealed for the ASTI to move forward in a "united, coherent way, focused on policy rather than on personality, arguing our case in a persuasive way that gains broad community support".
He also said he wished to see a debate take place within the union regarding the next round of the benchmarking process.
The ASTI has distanced itself from these discussions as a result of its withdrawal from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
"I believe there should be an open debate within the ASTI, free from rancour, on whether a policy of staying outside such negotiations was a short-term tactic or a long-term strategy. And whether the separate and particular concerns of our members should be heard where the real decisions are taken on the terms and conditions of employment of out members. The first module of Sustaining Progress ends on December 31st, 2004, but there is a further 18 months of this agreement to run for which the pay element has not yet been agreed," he said.
"It has been a central position of the ASTI that all members of society should benefit from economic growth and therefore, the deal for the next 18 months should reflect that."
Speaking afterwards, Mr White also refused to rule out the possibility that ASTI members might decide to return to the ICTU in the future.
On the issue of school discipline, Mr White said he believed it was "unacceptable that 71 per cent of teachers stated that in the current year they taught classes in which students engaged in continuous disruptive behaviour".