Secondary schools could be hit by another wave of closures in the next school year after teachers rejected the Labour Court pay offer and set in train a new programme of industrial action.
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, have not ruled out hitting this year's exams but disruption now seems unlikely.
An all-out strike and a further series of rolling three-day strikes were rejected by delegates at the ASTI annual convention in Galway last evening. In a further setback for the union's image, a Garda investigation has been launched into an alleged assault by an ASTI delegate on a parents' representative.
The ASTI's conference debate was interrupted to allow general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, read a Garda appeal for assistance with the investigation.
Mr Lennon acknowledged the new programme of proposed industrial action represented a softening of approach. "The hardest options . . . have been rejected by the convention."
After an emotional debate, most delegates remained in defiant mood. Many acknowledged the pay campaign had been a public relations disaster. Should members, as now seems likely, reject the Labour Court recommendations, they may be further balloted on a range of options including:
withdrawal from voluntary supervision;
engagement in contractual duties only - an effective work-to-rule;
withdrawal from extra-curricular activities, and
withdrawal from substitution duties.
Earlier, detectives from Galway's Mill Street station took a statement from Mr Pat Herlihy, PRO of the National Parents' Council (Post-Primary) who claimed he was hit in the nose by a teacher while at the bar in the hotel where the convention is taking place.
Mr Lennon said the ASTI was opposed to violent behaviour and he revealed he himself had been subjected to death threats and abusive telephone calls.
Union members will be balloted next week on the revised Labour Court offer with a recommendation from the convention to reject it. In the ballot, they are also expected to lift the exam ban. If, as now seems likely, they reject the Labour Court offer, a fresh strategy worked out yesterday will roll into action in September.
In a separate development Mr John Carr was last night elected general secretary designate of the INTO. He will succeed Senator Joe O'Toole.
What happens next:
Next week 17,000 ASTI members are to be balloted on the revised Labour Court offer and on the exam ban.
In early May, the result of the ballot will be announced. A yes vote would see ASTI going into the benchmarking pay review body. A no vote would open the way for an effective work-to-rule.
In mid-May, members are to be balloted on withdrawal from supervision and substitution and on an option which would see them engage in contractual duties only. They will also be voting on withdrawal from extra-curricular activities.
In June, the Leaving and Junior Cert exams are likely to go ahead. In September, schools could close again as the supervision ban begins to bite.