Yesterday, over 80% of Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) members voted for a strike to take place – as they believe it's unfair to be given less pay for doing the same job as teachers who started prior to 2011.
As a result, around 450 secondary schools are facing closure for at least a day next month.
When asked about the reasoning behind the strike, ASTI President Ed Byrne has said, 'It is not equal pay for equal work.'
The discrepancy in the pay scales were a result of the 2015 Lansdowne Road Agreement
This means that if you became a teacher before 2011 you will be on a different pay scale for doing the same job, meaning that teachers hired now will get 20% less than the 2010 starting salary.
Education Minister Richard Bruton has said he is disappointed with the decision.
A spokeswoman for Bruton has said he has suggested repeated talks instead of undertaking industrial action.
Advertisement
ASTI are also concerned about newly qualified teachers not receiving pay for supervision and substitution work. This is a consequence of the now expired Haddington Road Agreement, which effectively caused a pay freeze and the prevention of paid supervision and substitution work.
ASTI members rejected the proposed Lansdowne Road Agreement last year. As a consequence of this, and their refusal to do additional work under set out terms of the Croke Park Agreement, the Department of Education stopped paying teachers' supervision and substitution work.
If the strike proves successful, teachers graduating in 2017 will hopefully receive equal pay scales to their older counterparts.
If you're a student teacher or a recent graduate, let us know what you think by commenting through our Facebook page.
