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TUI President Calls For Chaos! TUI National President, John McGabhann (middle front) pictured with Kerry TUI Officers in The Grand Hotel, Tralee on Wed. 15th November. (Back l-r: Tim Sheehan, Pat O'Dwyer, Dan Joe Cahill, Sean McCarthy)(Front l-r: Brenda Morgan, John McGabhann, Sinéad Ní Néill) 15th Nov: Major Disruption Planned in Teachers Dispute The Teachers Union of Ireland held it's Kerry Annual General Meeting in the Grand Hotel, Tralee on Wednesday 15th November and was well-attended. The guest-speaker was Mr. John McGabhann, National President of the Union. In a hard-hitting address, Mr. McGabhann said that his Union was looking "not just for money, but a restructuring of salary scales for teachers". He outlined to the Meeting the history of talks which had already taken place in the negotiating of the Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) and said that the time had now come, in view of the Government's reluctance and failure to look at the teachers claim for fairness, to ballot members of the TUI on strike action. The members would be asked to "sign a blank cheque" to allow the Union leaders to take whatever action which they deemed to be necessary to achieve their goals. "A strike", he said, "would achieve the maximum effect in the minimum time"."The purpose of industrial action", according to Mr. McGabhann, "is to unapologetically cause chaos" and that is what he unambiguously was recommending to his members. Mr. McGabhann stated that his view was that, if the dispute had the required impact, parents would exert the necessary political pressure, which would lead to a swift resolution. It was inconceivable, he said, that the TUI should lodge a claim for less than 20 to 25% increase. "The nature of teaching has been dramatically transformed over the last five to ten years and adequate compensation is required for the work that arises from that change" he told the Meeting. Ballot-papers on strike action were currently being distributed throughout the country and should be in all schools by the 22nd November. The result of the ballot should be known by 4th December. The following Officers were elected to the Kerry Branch for the coming year: Chairman: - Pat O'Dwyer Vice-Chairman: - Dan Joe Cahill Secretary: - Brenda Morgan Treasurer: - Tim Sheehan Equality Officer: - Sinéad Ní Néill Area Rep: - Sean McCarthy