The Association of Secondary Teachers has denied that personality differences are causing a power struggle within the union. However, responding to an article by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in a morning newspaper, the union's General Secretary, Charlie Lennon, conceded there were differences of approach as to how the 30% pay claim should be pursued. The teachers stepped up their industrial action with a new series of one-day regional stoppages, which began in Dublin today.
Earlier, leaders of the ASTI handed in a letter to the Taoiseach at Government Buildings calling for money, docked for days on which supervision was withdrawn during the pay dispute, to be repaid. The letter was handed in for Mr Ahern. There had been hopes that this series of stoppages could have been avoided, but rather than move towards agreement, the Government and the ASTI have become more polarised.
In the Irish Times article, the Taoiseach poses the question; “What is the strike about?” and he says that it seems partly to be a power struggle within the ASTI and a crusade designed to achieve dominance for particular groups. It appears, says Mr Ahern, to be a crusade against the rest of the public service and the whole social partnership process and perhaps, he says, a crusade against the Government. This is a clear reference to apparent tensions within the ASTI involving the ASTI General Secretary and former President, Bernadine O' Sullivan.
However, Mr Lennon denied this morning that any personal differences exist between himself and Ms O'Sullivan. He said, however, that there were differences of opinion within the organisation on how its pay claims would be pursued. Efforts by the Labour Relations Commission mediator are continuing with the effort of bringing the sides together for talks. In the first round, the strike will hit Dublin today; Leinster, excluding Dublin tomorrow; Munster on Thursday and Connacht/Ulster this day week.
