Two teachers’ unions have held a rally outside Leinster House, calling for pay equality for their members.

The INTO and TUI protest co-incited with the first of seven days of industrial action in protest at the existence of two separate pay scales for members.

INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan denies that her union is less committed to seeking pay parity for its members.

She also denied that those unions actually supported a two-tier pay system by voting for other pay deals in the past:

“The Croke Park Agreement was a collective agreement designed to prevent further damage being done to public servants generally and our members, at that stage having already had industrial action clearly voted to provide some shelter from compulsory redundancy and indeed further pay cuts.”