Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche questions whether the PPTA is committed to reaching a deal.
“Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to reach a resolution. I have personally been working directly with the PPTA President to understand the union’s issues. We’ve listened to what the President has said teachers want; we’ve responded to this, and we’ve done as much as we can to accommodate them.”
Sir Brian said the PPTA was misrepresenting his actions to teachers and the public.
“To avert this strike action, we acted at the President’s request to put our significantly improved offer to him in writing. To now characterise this as a last-minute action on our behalf is deeply misleading and disappointing.
“While it would breach good faith to talk in detail about this offer and what led up to it, I have a clear conscience that we have sought to remedy everything the PPTA has raised but in return all we’ve received back is a strike notice.”
“It’s frustrating the PPTA is unwilling to continue negotiations, despite progress remaining possible. It leaves me to reflect on whether there was ever a real possibility of the PPTA not undertaking strike action,” Sir Brian said.
