ATL

ATL Northern Ireland AGM

The Northern Ireland branch of ATL held its annual general meeting at Malone House, Belfast, on 21 May 2009

The business meetings heard a branch secretary's report from Colin Kinney, resolutions on teacher unemployment, the premature retirement compensation scheme and parity, followed by an impassioned speech by ATL President Andy Ballard.

Regional director Mark Langhammer chaired the AGM's open session, an innovative education question time, which had a panel including Dawn Purvis MLA, children's commissioner Patricia Lewsley, former principal John Young, GTC Northern Ireland registrar Eddie McArdle and ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted.
 
The fourth annual ATL Northern Ireland lecture followed, introduced by Dr Bousted. The lecture by Dr Philip O'Connor was entitled 'Twenty years of national partnership in the Republic of Ireland' and drew interesting parallels between British and Irish trade union cultures.