The Minister for Education faces a hostile reaction from secondary teachers today amid clear signs that opposition to the revised Labour Court offer is increasing.
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), who have been seeking a 30 per cent pay increase, are due to ballot next week on the offer, which provides no upfront payment and calls on teachers to press their case through the new benchmarking pay review body.
With members angry and disappointed about the failure of their year-long campaign to secure concessions, delegates to today's conference are expected to turn their fire on Dr Woods.
The Minister is expected to reiterate the Labour Court view that teachers have a strong case for a pay increase, but he will ask the ASTI to make this through the benchmarking body, established by the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
ASTI members will vote next week on the Labour Court offer and on the union's ban on exams.
While the outcome is still in the balance, there is widespread agreement that the ban on exams will be lifted. It is virtually certain that the Leaving and Junior Cert exams will go ahead with the co-operation of ASTI members in June.
The driving force behind the ASTI strategy, Ms Bernadine O'Sullivan, a former president, last night attended her final meeting of the union's standing committee. But she remains an influential figure in the union.
The conference debate on pay, with its focus on the Government's hard line with the unions, is expected to give a significant boost to those who, like Ms O'Sullivan, call for a No vote. A clear majority of the 180-member Central Executive Committee of the ASTI and several senior figures on the Standing Committee oppose the Labour Court offer.
The union's general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, is expected to outline the limited range of options facing members if they reject the package. Many delegates support a new strategy which targets the Department and not exam students.
While a further series of one day strikes from September is unlikely, a key question is whether delegates support a further withdrawal from "voluntary" supervision duties, which could again force school managements to close schools.
The ASTI decided last night to hold a discussion today on pay and two further sessions tomorrow and Thursday.