A 3 per cent pre-Christmas pay increase due to 50,000 teachers could be in jeopardy after talks between the Department of Education and the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) broke down yesterday.
Teachers are due to receive the 3 per cent payment on December 1st. It is the first under a new pay deal which will deliver a 10 per cent pay increase up to September 2008.
However, the TUI has raised concerns about new plans for the education sector which must be agreed before the payment is made to all teachers.
Under the deal, payment to Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) members could also be delayed even though they are not centrally involved in the dispute.
At issue is a section in the plan on redeployment of teachers.
TUI members rejected the new pay deal but the union accepted the overall ICTU mandate for the pay package.
The three teaching unions are expected to consider the issue this week.
