Sir, – The Department of Education’s approach to the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) strike is at odds with its approach several weeks ago. Then it was asking school managers to hire people to carry out supervision and substitution.
It went so far as to place advertisements in the national newspapers for these positions.
Many schools had put contingency plans together in order to open on November 7th by hiring and garda-vetting people for this role.
However, it is reported (News, October 27th) that the "Government will hold firm line on ASTI" by removing all ASTI teachers from the payroll on November 7th if they do not declare in writing that they are also available for unpaid work, as well as teaching duties.
The situation now seems to be that many schools will have people to supervise but no teachers on the payroll.
What an ironic turnaround.
– Yours, etc,
RICHARD FOX
Kilcoole,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – The ASTI claims to be committed to the principle of equal pay for equal work. Yet, having unilaterally decided to discontinue working the annual 33 Croke Park agreement hours, which are still being worked by their Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and INTO colleagues, the ASTI demands that its members continue to receive the same rates of pay. I rest my case.
– Yours, etc,
SYLVESTER MURPHY
Gorey,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – As we are all well aware, the recent proposal by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor to introduce a 30 per cent tax rate for certain returning emigrants was flatly rejected by her government colleagues.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny called it “unfair and discriminatory” to charge someone a lesser tax rate simply because they had lived abroad and come back to Ireland.
In the current context of industrial unrest across our public sector, primarily caused by anger at lower wages for newer entrants, surely to propose that someone has a smaller pay packet just because they didn’t happen to live abroad, is as unfair as imposing a smaller pay packet on someone else just because they happened to enter a profession at a different date?
I am bemused as to how government ministers can recognise Ms Mitchell O’Connor’s two-tier tax proposal as discriminatory, but then fail to acknowledge that the two-tier pay system in our public sector does the same thing.
- Yours, etc,
SINÉAD O’LOGHLIN
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – All schools have an anti-bullying policy which teaches students to stand up for those who are not treated equally and with the same dignity as others, regardless of race, religion, ability or age. Pupils are encouraged to highlight any such abuses they find.
Though schools may be closed, teachers are still teaching their pupils by their actions – by standing up for the above rights.
– Yours, etc,
DAVID SALMON
Bray,
Co Wicklow
Sir, – What to do? The eldest, a newly-qualified teacher still living at home for obvious reasons, and the youngest missing a day’s schooling.
– Yours, etc,
J MAGUIRE
Raheny,
Dublin 5.