Primary school teachers’ union “INTO” is pushing for special grants for teachers working in cities to offset the high cost of living there.
At its annual conference in Killarney, delegates directed the union to negotiate with the Department of Education for additional payments, similar to those in London, to help teachers under pressure from high rent costs.
According to INTO, the high cost of living and the housing shortage have put additional financial pressure on teachers. Typically, people living in cities like Dublin not only pay more for rent or housing, but also for expenses like childcare.
In London, teachers and other essential staff receive an additional allowance to cover the additional costs.
Compared to a teacher working elsewhere in the UK, a teacher in London earns between €7,500 and €1,500 extra per year, depending on whether they work in central London, outside London or further afield, reports RTE.
Such perks are designed to encourage key workers to take up a job in the English capital.
INTO is the first teachers’ union to officially demand such an allowance.
The development comes amid growing concerns about teacher shortages in many parts of the country, but particularly in Dublin and other urban areas where rents are now considered too high for many workers.
Dublin has traditionally attracted newly qualified teachers who may have studied in the capital and choose to live there, at least for the early years as young teachers.
However, with Dublin being hit by the housing crisis, primary schools are finding it very difficult to find staff to fill vacancies or even act as substitutes.
Teachers and their representatives at all three teachers’ union conferences this week highlighted the cost of living and exorbitant rents as key factors in young teachers’ decision to migrate.
At the Teachers’ Union of Ireland Annual Congress in Cork, members backed a call for 100% compensation for landlords hit by the defective housing block problem, particularly in Co Donegal, following a suggestion from local teachers themselves, and outlined the impact, they had on their students. and community, reports RTE.
On the third day of the congress, delegates will also debate proposals on equality, health and safety and pensions, as well as support for a major national action campaign on housing and the provision of free public transport.
Meanwhile, the head of education at the Forsa union said some of the organization’s 18,000 members are struggling to get fuel into their cars at the end of the working week.
The cost of living crisis and the need to enable students with additional needs to make better progress at higher levels are some of the key issues raised by Forsa as the Education Department conference begins in Portlaoise today.
The union represents education workers, including SNAs, school secretaries and janitors, as well as administrative staff in education and training boards and technical universities, reports RTE.
Its members are among the lowest paid workers in the education sector.
“They are facing pressures to do with the rising cost of accommodation. They are noticing that the price of foodstuffs has increased significantly. We are receiving queries from members who are in some degree of distress around can they afford to put diesel in the car to get to work on the Friday? They are really feeling the effects of the cost-of-living in many different ways,” Andy Pike told RTÉ’s News at One, reports RTE.
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