Senior members of the Teachers' Union of Ireland are meeting today to discuss the union's approach to industrial action by the ASTI.

The ASTI is planning seven days of industrial action, starting next Thursday, in protest at how newer teachers are paid on a lower scale than older ones.

But its members will also withdraw their supervision on school yards, and substitution duty for absent colleagues, from Monday 7th November.

That move will force their schools to close entirely unless managers can find other people to supervise their schoolyards.

Today's meeting of the TUI could determine the response in around 160 schools which have members from both unions. 

Legally the TUI cannot give instructions to its members on whether to pass ASTI pickets or not, and must leave that decision up to individual members.

But general secretary John McGowan has said it will not be possible for TUI members to step in and assume the duties that ASTI members would ordinarily perform.