Teachers brand pay and pensions cuts 'unacceptable' [Irish Independent]
- Published: 20 January 2009
Source: Irish Independent
By: Ralph Riegel and John Walshe
TEACHERS last night reacted angrily to Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's "unacceptable" warning of pay or pension cuts.
Speaking earlier, Mr O'Keeffe said he had a particular difficulty in his department because 80pc of its funding was spent on teachers' pay, salaries and pensions.
"Just 20pc is the operational side of things which is the department itself, the VECs and the Higher Education Authority and the universities. Therefore it is going to be very difficult to find other savings within education unless you target (this)," he said.
The minister added he expected a very tough week and year ahead as the Government was trying to achieve €2bn in savings.
"That is on top of what has been achieved already. So that is going to make very difficult choices for us," he added.
But the Teachers' Union of Ireland last night said pay cuts were unacceptable, pointing out that 1,000 teaching jobs are already set to go. It described the Government's economic strategy as "make-it-up-as-you-go-along".
General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said the TUI recognised there was an economic crisis which was best addressed by discussion involving all of the parties. An economic plan involving all sectors of society and all sectors of the economy should be formulated where any necessary pain and sacrifice was shared, with an emphasis on those best able to take the pain, he added.
Agenda
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) also said pay cuts for primary teachers were not on the union's agenda in forthcoming social partnership talks with the Government.
"Primary teachers didn't cause the national reversal of fortunes. Contrary to what some commentators would have people believe, there is no bloated public service when it comes to teaching," said John Carr, general secretary of the primary teachers' union.
He said the opposite was true and that Irish primary teachers were among the most productive in the world.
- Ralph Riegel and John Walshe
