Strike by teachers?

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 1

Strike by teachers?

Whether primary school teachers will strike next week will not be made public until Monday, although a decision was made yesterday.

The national executive of the Educational Institute held a telephone conference yesterday to decide what action teachers should take about their pay claim. The institute’s president, Mr D. F. Stewart, said last evening that he would notify his branches before announcing the decision. “I will make a press statement on Monday afternoon,” he said.

The institute - had strong support from its members if the national executive ordered a strike, he said.

Most branches had voted by 80 per cent or more to strike if it was ordered by the executive.

Primary schoolteachers threatened to strike last week after their pay claim was rejected by the Education Service Committee.

The dispute has been brewing for more than a year since secondary school teachers received a pay rise which altered a long-standing relativity with primary school teachers.

Primary school teachers say this caused an anomaly, and believe they should receive the same pay where qualifications, experience, and responsibility are the same.