INTO Teachers Push for Pay Hikes, Industrial Action

0:00On April 7th, primary teachers union, the INTO, is pushing hard for industrial action if the government does restore special allowances cut back during austerity. Their current pay deal ends in June, and with cost of living pressures hitting hard, delegates at the annual Congress and Kalarni, county carry, want. Big pay hikes in the next agreement. President Anne Horan kicked off the Congress, calling the government's failure to restore those allowances a massive breach of faith. These perks were for teachers with extra qualifications, or those in Gail Talked and island schools, and negotiations under local bargaining fell. Flat teachers expected as sorted by last September. Delegates are fired up, debating motions for a ballot on industrial action by months end. If nothing changes, plus penalty clauses and future deals. Meanwhile, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland kicks off in Wexford today and the Teachers Union of Ireland starts in Kilkenny, both. Running through Thursday.

1:01Minister for Education, Hildegard Notten addresses INTO delegates this morning, promising focus on teacher development, better special education, and support for the 200 primary teachers entered at work in 2023 and 2024. Unions want solid compensation and assault leave schemes for those cases. As talks for a new national wage deal, ramp up and coming weeks, pay, workload, and assessment changes, top teachers' worries. Setting the stage for some. Real tension ahead.