Fears of strike action outside our schools grow as teachers reject pay equality deal

FEARS of strike action outside our schools grew this evening after the secondary teachers’ union, ASTI, rejected the pay equality deal for new entrants.

The union voted the proposal down on a margin of 53-47.

The ASTI is the second teachers’ union to vote “no”  following a similar result in a ballot carried out by the primary teachers’ union, the INTO.

The third teachers’ union, the TUI, voted 53-47 in favour of the deal.

The turnout in the ASTI ballot was 58pc and the union executive will meet shortly to consider the outcome.

The INTO is currently consulting with its members in the lead up to a ballot on industrial action.

The nurses’ union, the INMO, has also voted against the proposals and is also balloting its members on industrial action.

Unions that take industrial action in pursuit of a better deal have been warned that all members will suffer pay penalties, including delays in the payment of increments and  post-austerity pay restoration.

While the pay equality proposals go a long way to bridging the gap between public servants recruited since 2011 and longer-serving colleagues, they do not restore parity for all.