Up to 1,100 second-level schools, institutes of technology, technological universities and centres of further education may have to close on February 4th – just days before the general election – due to a strike by thousands of teachers. The union said it wanted to make the issue of the two-tier pay system in schools a “key election issue”. It will be up to management in each of these to decide on whether they should be shut for the strike on February 4th. However, the union expects it is likely a significant number of these will close as a consequence of the strike by TUI members. In October, TUI members voted by 92 per cent to 8 per cent engage in a campaign of industrial action, up to and including strike action, over the two-tier pay system in schools.

Source: The Irish Times January 17, 2020 12:22 UTC