Teachers may be asked to attend parent-teacher meetings outside of school hours and do in-service courses during their school holidays, according to a new submission to the Government's benchmarking body.
The submission from public service employers, said this would represent a "major change" in work practices for teachers and could form the basis for a change in pay.
The submission is a response to an initial research paper from the benchmarking body which was circulated to various Government Departments recently.
The employer's paper said a "major change" in the health service would be extended opening hours in acute hospitals with additional services provided to patients. It said this would a similar change to teachers attending meetings in the evening and in-service courses during summer or mid-term.
These reforms are discussed in a section where employers distinguish between "normal ongoing change" and "major" change.
"The employer side accepts that changes like these - which clearly impact on the duration - or organisation of the working day of the individual - could be relevant to the body's consideration of appropriate pay levels."
The TUI and INTO are expected to make their oral submissions to the benchmarking body in early December.. If there are changes to parent-teacher meetings and in-service provision, the unions are likely to push for a substantial pay rise. The ASTI is refusing to take part in the benchmarking exercise. Parents groups have lobbied for years to have parent-teacher meetings in the evenings when parents are not at work.
School managers have also expressed dissatisfaction at in-service courses being held during term time. They claimed this was eroding the school year.
The paper pointed out that performance-related pay is negligible in the public sector. "Work is ongoing on the introduction of a performance management system in the public service and until this is bedded down it is hard to see how progress can be made in this area."
It said performance related pay in the private sector tends to have "associated rigours.
"There are no such generally accepted rigours in the public service and the pay bill in the public service tends to be rigid and only rachets up since pay levels do not reflect the changing outlook for the economy except at a global level when national agreements are negotiated."
The document signals that if public service workers want large pay increases, such as those awarded in the private sector in recent years, there will have to be changes. "If the public service employees want all the potential awards available in the private sector then the rigours that go with that must also follow," it said.
The benchmarking body is charged with comparing public service pay with private sector pay. The INTO and TUI are hoping this will deliver sizeable pay increases. Their case to the body will rely heavily on past productivity changes introduced by their members.