Teachers plan strikes as pay talks collapse

SCHOOL children face more misery in the New Year as secondary teachers plan a fresh wave of strikes.

But union leaders at ASTI will keep pupils and parents guessing on the exact days of their planned action.

But the teachers' move has been condemned by Education Minister Michael Woods.

He said the future of students, especially those, sitting Leaving and Junior Certificate exams were "too important to be used as pawns in a dispute".

And Minister Woods said he was "dismayed and disappointed" that the union had pulled out of talks with the Labour Relations Committee.

The withdrawal was backed by a two-to-one vote in protest against the docking of pay on two earlier strike days and three work-to-rule days.

Teachers are demanding a 30 per cent pay hike for its members.

Schools reopen on Monday, January 8, for the new term but teachers' union leaders do not meet until the following Saturday - three days before the first round of regional stoppages.

ASTI now wants to hold a joint executive meeting with the two teachers' unions - the TUI and INTO - to form a joint strategy on pay for their members.

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