Teaching Council and ASTI fees will not be reduced despite paycuts

sitstill

I decided to ask the Teaching Council and ASTI whether or not they plan to reduce their fees this year, given that those of us who have to pay them are now feeling the pinch and they basically both said no:

TEACHING COUNCIL:

(I actually received two separate replies)

1) It is not foreseen that the Teaching Council will reduce the current registration fee as the running costs for the Teaching Council have not reduced.

2) In relation to the registration renewal fee, unfortunately this will not be reduced. The fee is based on projected expenditure levels rather than on teachers’ income. It has been set so as to ensure the Council has enough resources to carry out its statutory functions. As the Council takes on more functions, the costs of running the Council increase. The current fee of €90 has been in place for 2008/09, 2009/10 and will be maintained for 2010/11 at least. The Council makes every effort to achieve value for money on behalf of the teachers funding it and keeps a tight rein on costs.

The Council’s schedule of fees has been approved by the Minister for Education and Science and any change to it would require ministerial approval.

ASTI:

Thank you for your email. Our subscription is 33.80 euro less than the INTO and 90.63 euro less than the TUI. The fact that the government has imposed savage pay cuts on teachers and public servants in general was a decision of government. We tried our best in negotiations to prevent this. Whilst we encouraged members to vote “yes”, using industrial action as a weapon can’t guarantee success. Members were aware of that.

The proposals for the subscription for the year beginning 1st September 2010 will be decided at next year’s Annual Convention at Easter but as you can see, the ASTI already operates a leaner operation than other unions so therefore I think any reduction would be highly unlikely.

**********

What are peoples's views on this? Am I the only one who thinks the fees should come down - even as a gesture of solidarity towards members?

implausible

Definitely!

The union executives are on massive money as they are set against officials in the DES. Now, even though there is a paycut across the public sector, union officials are not showing willing to take a similar cut. Our membership pays their wages. Their salaries should come down and our union dues in turn.

What are the chances?:rolleyes:

ytareh

All you can do is laugh...Pathetic ...

spurious

The TC is funded by us. If we didn't pay, it would cease operations.
That would be a terrible thing.

TheDriver

I for one am very disappointed with the TC, they promise loads but all they seem to do is insist on membership etc.
Never knew the ASTI was cheaper than TUI, hmmmmm

niall3r

spurious wrote: »

The TC is funded by us. If we didn't pay, it would cease operations.
That would be a terrible thing.

That was sarcasm right? I can be oblivious to sarcasm so just wanted to check.

spurious

niall3r wrote: »

That was sarcasm right? I can be oblivious to sarcasm so just wanted to check.

wingnut

IMO the TC has done nothing in relation to what it was introduced for. I know of at least one unqualified teacher who have registered with them despite not having a teaching qual. Meanwhile people with legitimate qualifications are being made jump through hoops. I don't believe it has done anything to get unqualified teachers out of the system or appear as an organised and effective professional body.

Jobs for the boys, waste of time.

youngblood

Just in case it wasnt common knowledge,
No one will HAVE to pay the Teaching Council until 2013
when legislation is passed to stop pay if not a member
So I've a good few more years of non payment before I'll be forced to.
Renewal of Membership for permanent teachers is not mandatory
and I'll renew mine when it is.
Unfortunately newly qualified teachers are required by principals to have it to apply for jobs which seems bizarre considering the legislation
But if your in a position not to pay now, then show your grievance and dont pay

TheDriver

true about not having to pay but when they do make it mandatory, I would imagine you cold be waiting a bit to be processed just so they can make their point.....

youngblood

They wont be able to justify delays just to prove a point and will legally have to give a lot of notice when that does occur
I wont have t0 worry about it for another 3 years anyway

Chilli Con Kearney

The TC gave a lecture in the UCD PGDE last week and were all about getting us on board now. They led us to believe that we need to join, that we won't be paid at the qualified rate and that principals will not hire us without registration. Has anybody experience of this? Or are they just looking for a handy 232x€90 from the PGDE students???

dg647

Fidge9 wrote: »

The TC gave a lecture in the UCD PGDE last week and were all about getting us on board now. They led us to believe that we need to join, that we won't be paid at the qualified rate and that principals will not hire us without registration. Has anybody experience of this? Or are they just looking for a handy 232x€90 from the PGDE students???

With the last two contracts that I have filled out for Part-Time posts I had to fill in my Teaching Council Reg number, so I would say get registered to avoid any hassle. A lot of application forms would have a space for your registration number also.

pathway33

wingnut wrote: »

I know of at least one unqualified teacher who have registered with them despite not having a teaching qual.

You mean someone who has a degree which is on the Teaching Councils list of recognised qualifications but has no HDip in Education of PGDE?

They are fully qualified to teach in VECs

wingnut

Yeah, I noticed you don't need qual to register as teacher of FE.

dolliemix

The Teaching Council provide me with a number that proves I'm qualified, when for years previously I didn't need it. The Department have all my qualifications etc. I really feel the TC are ripping all off us big time. Its like a committee that is paid to do a job that is / should already be done by the Department.

I really resent paying that money. I held out for months last year but eventually received a registered letter with legal threats!!!

I just don't understand. We're all going in doing our work - yet it we don't pay this 90 euro - we might not get paid. Surely thats not legal?

Does anyone know of anyone who has refused point blank to pay? And has anything happened?

It's time for them to go. The Union need to stand up to them.

ytareh

Hear hear !

spurious

dolliemix wrote: »

I held out for months last year but eventually received a registered letter with legal threats!!!

Did you just have to pay the 90 or did they hit you with arrears for the time you hadn't paid?

TheDriver

look at the composition of the tc, lots of union lads on it which undoubtedly have nice expenses.......

dolliemix

spurious wrote: »

Did you just have to pay the 90 or did they hit you with arrears for the time you hadn't paid?

I paid 90 euro. (9 months late) No late fee applied if that's what you mean.

TheDriver wrote: »

look at the composition of the tc, lots of union lads on it which undoubtedly have nice expenses.......

I know but I think there are some union heads who realise this is a joke. Two or three years ago it was suggested as a motion for Convention
to disband TC. But I don't think it made it as a result of upcoming cutbacks/ job losses/ teacher:student ratio reductions etc were obviously seen as more urgent at the time.

rebel10

Can i just ask if anyone here, particularly those on non-perm contracts, have had any problems getting responses from Bernard Moynihan our rep in the asti? Last year i rang him several times, each time i was told he was out of the office. Finally got through, i asked him what the asti had planned to do in the event of the curricular concessions being cut, as my hours in the school was based on this, he told me he would have to have this in writing, and not to worry as the Gov. had no plans to cut them.
2 emails later, nothing. No reply since. And funny, 2 weeks later the gov. cut the curricular concessions! Perhaps his FF brother could have told him of their plans! Just wondering if anyone here has had similar experiences with the man? At my last Asti branch meeting an older teacher spoke of a similar thing happening regarding Bernard.

clartharlear

I spoke to Bernard Moynihan twice on the phone. Both times, he was really nice and positive and reassuring, but he never got back to me...

I paid that €90 too, and the TC told me that they wouldn't register me, because 2 years later, they changed their mind about my degree. Think they'd send that money back?

spurious

dolliemix wrote: »

I paid 90 euro. (9 months late) No late fee applied if that's what you mean.

So it's possible someone could just pay €90 every couple of yrs to stop being annoyed by registered letters?

dolliemix

spurious wrote: »

So it's possible someone could just pay €90 every couple of yrs to stop being annoyed by registered letters?

No. I paid 90 euro to pay for 2009. The original bill was sent in Feb. I didn't pay. I kept getting reminders. Eventually in October a registered letter arrived at my door with all sorts of legal threats, so I paid.

I will get a bill assumedly this year as well for 2010.


I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't paid up in the end. I didn't want to risk it. Initially there was a lot of talk about people refusing to pay it. I'm not sure did some follow that true. Certainly not in my school as far as I know.