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| Source of Picture: Intouch June 2012 |
INTO Consultation with NQTs
Towards the end of the school year, both the Chair and Secretary of District 14 NQT Group, accompanied by NQT Reps from other Dublin districts, met with INTO Officials for consultation on a range of issues.Among those discussed were issues relating to NQT Participation, the establishing of NQT Groups, material provided to NQTs on membership of the INTO and Officer Training in order to increase NQT participation.
The discussions were very productive, and have led to some developments.
Further information from these consultation will be provided in September.
Teaching Council Membership...NOT Registered = No Pay
As of September 2012, membership and registration with the Teaching Council will be required in order for teachers to receive renumeration. Where membership is delayed or has lapsed, back-pay will not be a possibility. Therefore, we advise you re-new or apply for registration. This can be done online at the link above, or by post.This is a welcomed development and has been fought for by NQTs and Experienced members of the INTO alike. It ensures even more that only qualified personnel will take up a teaching position in our classrooms.
National Induction Programme
For any NQTs who have not yet completed the National Induction Programme, it is recommended that you register for the workshops. College graduates will already be aware of how the workshops function and how they will guide you through your early years in the teaching profession.You can look up and find your nearest venue for the course here.
Allowance Review pending and Sick Leave Pay under threat
There are numerous negotiations and deliberations underway and continuing around both of these issues. Both Allowances and Sick leave Pay are areas where the DPER (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) hopes to make considerable savings.Firstly, regarding allowances, what was supposed to be a month long review has now transformed into a half-year review. Minister Brendan Howlin of the DPER, has not yet published the review which will detail where savings will be made. Allowances include supervision pay, allowances for further qualifications attained and Gaeltacht or Island Teachers. All new beneficiary allowances have been paused until the publication of the said review. (Keep your ear to the ground, may come out during the summer in hope we won't react!)
Secondly, the terms of Sick Pay Leave are in the sights of the Government. It is the intention of the Fine Gael/ Labour Coalition to standardise Sick Leave Terms across the Public Sector. Traditionally Primary School Teachers have had more favourable Sick Leave Terms, but it it clear the Government wants this to change.
Teachers currently have access to 12 months of Sick Leave paid in a rolling 4 year period.
The Government wishes to standardise this to 3 months leave on full pay, and a further 3 months on half-pay, within a 4 year period.
This has serious implication for teachers who suffer from serious ilnesses.
For example, if a teacher becomes ill and is forced to take 6 months off work, they will receive 3 months full pay and 3 months half-pay. (There is an alleviation package for those who have to take further leave). If it were the case that the ilness re-occured, and sick leave was required, the teacher would not be paid during their leave, having used their assigned standardise allocation under the new reform.
This is obviously a massive shift in terms, and the INTO is currently in talks with other Public Sector Unions at the Labour Relations Commission. The Dept. of Pubic Expenditure and Reform intends to introduce the relevant legislation for these changes in the Autumn. (Dáil Éireann resumes session on September 18th)
