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The main high school teachers union says it will vote in favor of a strike due to concerns it has about staff safety.
The central executive committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) said it met on Saturday and decided to vote its members on a number of “key issues” that had emerged since the schools reopened.
He said ASTI members had serious concerns about the health and safety of school communities. Issues raised include physical distancing in schools, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), definition of close contacts, testing and response times, provisions for high-risk teachers, and information technology resources for students and teachers to facilitate distance teaching and learning.
“The fact that high-risk teachers have been asked to work in crowded classrooms is unacceptable to us as a union,” ASTI President Ann Piggott said in a statement.
“The safety of students and their teachers must be the priority.”
Ms. Piggott said teachers were reporting that new work practices were being implemented without consulting with school staff.
“It is unthinkable that at a time when teachers have shown great commitment to their students and to maintaining education, schools would introduce job changes that would have an additional negative impact on teachers’ working lives. This smacks of crisis opportunism and cannot go unanswered. “
ASTI said the ballot would also cover the hardships returning teachers “are forced to work with precarious contacts” and those facing unequal salaries.
The union has yet to decide whether to vote for members to strike. A spokeswoman said nothing had been ruled out inside or outside at this stage.
Second-level schools reopened in early September after having been closed since mid-March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Friday, public health doctors who are at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 said they would vote in favor of industrial action before Christmas if the government does not resolve a wage issue.
There are also growing tensions between health services unions and the HSE over redistribution and labor agreements.
Last week, health services unions told the HSE that a blanket agreement reached earlier this year to facilitate the relocation of staff as part of the Covid-19 pandemic treatment was “null and void.”
The unions said they would engage with the health services administration on individual or collective redeployment of members on a case-by-case basis.
“However, that participation is conditional on HSE demonstrating a commitment to appropriate, complete and meaningful participation and consultation on all matters.”
The letter sent this week shows more tensions in the relationship between health services unions and management over what they see as a lack of consultation on a number of issues.
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