News Today: Primary school teachers set to be balloted on industrial action
news today centers on primary school teachers who may soon be asked to vote on industrial action if the Government does not deliver money due since last September under the public sector pay agreement. The warning came on Monday evening at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation annual conference, where 900 delegates backed a motion tied to the overdue local bargaining funds. Union members want the issue resolved by the end of this month, or a nationwide ballot will be triggered.
Delegate vote raises pressure on Government
The motion passed overwhelmingly and put a clear deadline in place for action. Shane Loftus, from the union’s Dublin North West branch, said members “should not be disrespected like this” and called a nine-month delay “too long. ”
Dubliner Eimear Donaghy linked the dispute to wider strain on teachers during the cost-of-living crisis. She said the delay deepened the feeling that the union had been let down since the public sector pay deal was agreed two years ago, and noted that about €18 million is now overdue under the terms of the deal.
Another delegate, Deirdre Cronin, said there is “absolutely no delay” when the Government wants to introduce deductions such as a pension levy or a universal social charge. The message from the floor was that teachers expect the same urgency now that money is due to them.
news today and the cost-of-living dispute
The issue is being framed inside the union as part of a larger argument about pay, inflation, and living standards. INTO general secretary John Boyle said the delayed funding is adding to dissatisfaction with the wider public sector agreement, which provides for two increases of 1 per cent during the first half of this year even though inflation is now almost twice that level.
Boyle said inflation is currently running at 3. 6 per cent, while teachers are still waiting on the allocation for local bargaining. The union says that money would be used to restore 12 allowances, including support for those working in remote areas or with higher qualifications.
Union president Ann Horan described the failure to pay the money as a “massive breach of faith” by the Government. Irish Congress of Trade Unions president Phil Ní Sheaghdha also raised the pressure for change, saying unions have called for a meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum and expect to raise concerns about lower- and middle-income workers facing higher bills.
What happens next for teachers
The immediate next step is whether the Government resolves the outstanding payment before the end of this month. If it does not, primary school teachers could move into a nationwide ballot on industrial action, turning a pay dispute into a wider test of workplace patience. The timing matters because the next phase of public sector pay bargaining is due to begin in the coming months, and union leaders say the current delay is shaping expectations for what comes next.
For now, news today is that teachers have put the Government on notice. The dispute over local bargaining funds is no longer just a funding delay; it is now a potential flashpoint for industrial action if there is no progress soon.
