Irish teachers begin work-to-rule action affecting thousands of families

Approximately 70,000 teachers in Ireland, including members of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), have commenced a work-to-rule action. Under this arrangement, staff are working only their core hours and are no longer providing supervision for children before or after school.

The action affects over 3,300 primary schools and roughly 550 secondary schools. While extracurricular activities like sports and clubs are expected to continue, parent-teacher meetings will now be scheduled during core hours rather than after school. The lack of morning and afternoon supervision has forced many working parents to seek alternative childcare.

This movement is part of a broader public service work-to-rule action involving approximately 250,000 staff members. Two one-day strikes are scheduled for Wednesday, October 14 and October 21, which are expected to close nearly every school in the country. The Irish government has indicated that teacher concerns will be addressed in the upcoming budget.