The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) will debate a motion for strike action at their annual conference in Killarney today.
If the motion is passed, strike action could take place as early as next month.
Members will also be balloted on whether they wish to withdraw from classroom supervision duties from September, according to RTE.
The motion comes after the union rejected a “final offer” pay deal from the Government in February, according to The Journal.
Yesterday afternoon, the Union suspended normal business at its annual conference, and held private discussions about their pursuit of equal pay for newer teachers and other aims. After the private discussion, the Union's 23-member standing committee met to draw up motions which they will ballot members on.
The Union disagrees with the Government on a range of issues, including equal pay for teachers who have been employed since 2010. Low pay and a lack of full-time stable work for younger teachers are the main issues of contention.
Teaching salaries were cut in 2011, and again in 2012, as part of Government austerity measures. The ASTI is not a part of the Landsdowne Road Agreement, meaning that they haven’t had pay restorations. An ASTI teacher starting in 2017 will make 21 percent less than a teacher who qualified in 2010.
A recent Red C poll of ASTI teachers revealed that job dissatisfaction is rife among younger teachers.
83 percent of teachers said that their level of pay was their main source of unhappiness with the job. 65 percent said it was “feeling that their work is not valued in society”, while 58 percent said it was the lack of job security.
Two-thirds of second level-teachers who entered the profession after 2010 are still working in temporary and part-time teaching jobs. One-in-five (18 percent) recently-qualified teachers under the age of 30 have to work a part-time job to make up for the money shortage.
There are 18,000 members in the ASTI, and they are considering striking for one day at a time to achieve their aims.
Unlike teachers in other unions, ASTI teachers are currently not being paid to do substitution duties, as they were not part of the Landsdowne Road Agreement.
It is understood that a proposal to suspend all industrial action pending the outcome of national pay talks was rejected by the standing committee.
ASTI delegates from individual schools will vote on the motions later this morning.
