RMA News May 2023
As I write this article in the middle of April I am looking forward to joining up with RMA colleagues in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel Athlone for our AGM on May 9th, a report from the AGM will appear in the next issue of TUI News.
Spring and Autumn Breaks
As you were advised in the last issue of RMA news the spring break will be held in Athlone on May 9th, 10th and 11th. The venue for our Autumn break and details of tours etc have not been finalised at present but will be up on our website www.rmatui.ie when they are available and will be sent out to all members in late August or early September with our renewal letters and TUI diaries.
Building Momentum
In the last issue I commented on the frustration the RMA had at the lack of progress on the payment of arrears due from ‘Building Momentum’ but I am now glad to report that payment of arrears have been included in a number of pension payments over the last few months and we should be up to date by the end of June. “This debacle which has been ‘Building Momentum’ must never be repeated. And I’m not talking about ‘Sectoral Bargaining’. I’m referring to the incompetence and intransigence of our former employers, ETBs and IoTs, in either failing to supply correct calculations to the NSSO, or not sending the required data at all in some cases. Ensuing delays were encountered by our members, and the surviving spouses of our departed colleagues, together with the absence of detail as to what exactly was being paid – when eventually it started to be paid in February and March this year-. These delays were totally unacceptable.”
TUI Annual Congress
The TUI Annual Congress took place in Cork over Easter. RMA chairperson Martin Hoye and myself attended and I am delighted to report that the motions of interest to the RMA which were on the Final Agenda were debated and adopted. I would like on behalf of the RMA to thank those TUI branches that submitted the motions and the branches that gave them a high priority to enable them to be debated and of course thanks to the Congress delegates for their support of the motions.
I am delighted to record that three of our RMA colleagues: Jim Dorney, Peter McMenamin and Larry Kavanagh, were honoured during the Congress Banquet for their contribution to TUI over the past number of years and for having attended over 50 Conferences.
As this is the last issue of TUI News for the current school year I would like to wish all our teaching colleagues enjoyable holidays, I know it is well deserved after a long year. To our RMA members I hope you have a wonderful summer and I look forward to meeting up with and talking to you all during the next school year.
Dan Keane, RMA Secretary.