The new Public Service Stability Agreement will bring all special needs assistants (SNAs) out of the pay-cutting FEMPI legislation by 2020 if it’s accepted in union ballots now underway. The deal will mean increases of between €1,700 and €2,200 for SNAs, over three years, depending on where they are on the pay scale.
By the time the deal expires, all SNAs would be on higher pay than in 2010, before the pay cuts were imposed. SNAs who earn less than €34,500 will also be removed entirely from the pension levy, while those earning above that figure will see a significant reduction in their pension contribution – with a bigger reduction for those who joined the public service in 2011 or after.
IMPACT also secured a 12-month process to address the length of the scales for SNAs and others who joined the public service since 2011. The union believes this process can resolve the outstanding ‘new entrant’ issue among SNAs, although it won’t address issues that are exclusive to teachers.
The union wants to see the removal of two incremental points from each pay scale, which would mean faster progress up the scale and an equal scale-length for staff who joined the public service before and after 2011.
Meanwhile, IMPACT has written to education minister Richard Bruton about the unacceptable delays in publishing the SNA allocations for the 2017-2018 school year. The union is also campaigning on SNA job security and the fragmentation of SNA posts, while attendance arrangements and the appropriateness of work assigned to SNAs remain high on the education agenda.
IMPACT is also working on the issue of entry qualifications and continuous professional development for special needs assistants.
Ballot papers were sent to IMPACT’s SNAs by post last week. They must be returned, using the pre-paid envelope supplied, to arrive no later than noon on Friday 14th July.
