Members of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland have voted to accept a proposal on the salary scale for newly appointed teachers.
In a national ballot the TUI members voted by a margin of 53% to 47% to support the proposal.
The union said it will allow new and recent entrants to the profession to progress up the salary scale at a quicker pace.
The proposal is part of a Government deal to address pay demands across the public sector.
Under the proposals, new entrants will benefit from skipping points 4 and 8 on their pay scale. The first increase is in March 2019, with the second in 2020.
However, those who have been on lower pay for longest -will see a double jump next March.
Speaking this evening, TUI President Seamus Lahart said, "Members have decided in a national ballot that this proposal represents another step in the campaign for pay equality.
"However, it does not secure pay equality. There is no such thing as partial pay equality and the continuing injustice of discrimination against new and recent entrants to teaching remains to be comprehensively addressed."
Mr Lahart said with better employment options available elsewhere, graduates will vote with their feet and schools will continue to struggle to recruit and retain suitably qualified teachers across a range of subjects.
The union said its campaign will continue until pay equality is achieved.
