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	Some members of the secondary teachers&#39; union are staring redundancy in the face if the union rejects the latest proposals on pay and junior cycle reform.</p>
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	The issue has come to a head after two schools in Athlone, Co Westmeath, were amalgamated in September and concerns arose that up to 12 teachers are at risk of losing their job.</p>
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	St Aloysius College and St Joseph&#39;s College will merge into the new, co-educational 800-pupil Col&aacute;iste Chiar&aacute;in.</p>
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	Normally, teachers who become surplus to requirements because of an amalgamation, or a school closure, are offered redeployment. But while the Association of Secondary Teachers&#39; Ireland (ASTI) is outside the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA), its members have no such protection.</p>
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	ASTI members will ballot this month on proposals incorporating the LRA, a top-up pay deal for newly-qualified teachers, along with junior cycle reforms.</p>
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	In the event of a rejection, the Department of Education will take a hardline approach, underpinned by FEMPI legislation, introduced as an emergency measure to impose cuts in pay and conditions during the financial crisis, but still on the statute books.</p>
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	The ASTI is the only union outside the LRA and, last month, its 180-member executive committee recommended another No vote on the deal.</p>
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	According to sources, there were signs of a softening of attitudes on the part of some members at a meeting of the executive last Saturday.</p>
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	If rejected, the union has not ruled out a return to one-day strikes and withdrawal from supervision and substitution duties, which closed 500 schools for up to three days last term.</p>
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	Saturday&#39;s meeting agreed to ballot members on further industrial action, if the Government uses FEMPI legislation to make ASTI teachers redundant.</p>
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	The potential job losses arising from amalgamation in Athlone was among the issues raised in the discussion.</p>
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	ASTI president Ed Byrne said the threat to make ASTI teachers redundant because it had not signed up to the LRA was &quot;an abuse of power&quot;.</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Independent on the 17/01/2017)</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/asti-teachers-face-redundancy-if-deal-is-rejected-35373000.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/asti-teachers-face-redundancy-if-deal-is-rejected-35373000.html</a></p>
