The Department of Education has told ASTI members that they will not receive a 21 per cent pay increase unless they back the national pay deal and benchmarking.
ASTI members are in line to receive 7 per cent from the national deal deal plus 13.5 per cent from the benchmarking package.
In a letter to the union, a senior Department official says the "terms of the agreement - including benchmarking - will only apply" to those who are parties to it.
The official makes it clear that ASTI members cannot expect the money because the wider trade union movement has supported the deal, as ASTI is not a member of the ICTU.
ASTI members are now voting on the deal, but after a series of recent ballots on other issues, the turnout is said to be very low. The result of the vote will be known late tomorrow.
The Department will tomorrow formally offer the benchmarking proposals to the three teachers' unions at a meeting of the Teachers' Conciliation Council. The two other teaching unions , the INTO and the TUI, have already backed the deal.
Acceptance by ASTI would mark the end of its three-year pay battle with the Government. It would also open the way for the Department to press on with a modernisation programme. This includes discussions on parent/ teacher meetings at night and efforts to move to a standardised school year .
But rejection - which is possible, given the low turnout - could see a potentially serious stand-off between the ASTI and the Department.
This weekend, an ASTI special conference voted to retain its tradition of branch-based ballots, despite pressure from 3,500 grassroots members for a switch to school-based ballots.
A grassroots petition argued that school ballots would generate greater democracy in the union. At present, many teachers complain that they must travel a long distance or drive through heavy traffic in order to vote at their branch.
About 53 per cent of delegates voted to change to school-based ballots but this was not enough to change the voting rule, as a two-thirds majority was required.
ASTI holds its annual conference later this month. With members accepting the supervision offer last month, the event is expected to be relatively low-key.
