Majority of teachers' unions in Ireland have voted in favor of a public sector compensation deal.

Two teachers’ unions have voted by large majorities in favour of the new public sector pay deal.

A total of 80 per cent of members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) voted to accept the revised pay offer while 20 per cent rejected it.

In addition, Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) members voted by a margin of 85 per cent to 15 per cent to accept the proposed offer.

The deal provides for a 6.5 per cent increase in pay between now and October next year. This is in addition to a 2 per cent increase for most public sector workers this year under the existing Building Momentum deal.

Members of other unions in the public sector are being polled right now.

On Friday, October 7th, the results of the votes cast by all unions within the public sector will be tallied during a meeting of the Ictu public services committee.

While the TUI executive published the ballot without recommendation, the INTO executive had pushed members to accept the salary agreement.

INTO general secretary John Boyle responded to the outcome by saying that union leaders had obtained an agreement that members had embraced since it would bring about "substantial salary increases and pay certainty."

He added that the non-pay measures announced on Budget Day would help to ease some of the financial strains being felt by the members and their families.

"Over the following six months, we'll keep a close eye on the expense of living. Any replacement agreement signed after Easter must resolve unresolved union claims and further improve the salary and working conditions of our members, who consistently give their all to deliver the highest calibre educational opportunities in our primary and special schools.

Three phases of wage increases are included in the 6.5% rise.

The first is a 3% rise retroactively applied to February 2nd of this year. The second is a 2% increase beginning on March 1, 2023, and the third is an additional 1.5% increase beginning on October 1 of the following year, or a minimum of €750.

Teachers' unions decided to use 1% of the wage rise provided as part of the current Building Momentum agreement for sectoral bargaining reasons.

In the case of the INTO, the majority of these funds were used to increase the pay of primary principals and deputies, whilst in the case of the TUI, they were primarily used to reinstate the HDip allowance for teachers hired over the course of the previous ten or so years.