Secondary school teachers from the ASTI have voted in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action, unless the Government immediately addresses a number of key Covid related issues in schools.
In a ballot that posed a number of questions, ASTI teachers voted in favour of action on a number of issues. They included seeking a redefinition of what constitutes a close contact in the classroom; Covid test turnaround times of 24 hours; serial testing for schools; the provision of free laptops for students and teachers; provision to allow teachers in the high-risk health category to teach from home or have accommodations made in school; and equal pay for teachers employed after 2010.
Members rejected proposals for potential industrial action on several other grounds. These included a demand for physical distancing of two metres in every classroom; the provision of free high quality masks to all students and teachers; and on guaranteed offers of permanent full-time contracts to any teacher returning to the system.
The Department of Education has insisted that schools are safe places for staff and students, while the Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday promised that schools would return after the mid-term break.
Moira Leydon, ASTI Assistant General Secretary joined Pat on the line to discuss the issue.
