Staff protest against parking system at WIT

LECTURERS and other staff at Waterford Institute of Technology have protested against a barrier parking system at the college’s main campus.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland, which represents lecturers at WIT, said €20,000 has been spent on the parking scheme, but money owed to staff has not been paid.

Waterford branch secretary of TUI, Kathleen Moore-Walsh, said yesterday: “How can they find money for one thing but can’t pay what they owe?”

Staff want designated parking areas and, according to the union, people living near the campus on the Cork road are complaining because cars are parking on residential roads since the new system was introduced.

“We’ve had ongoing parking problems and health and safety problems over the last few years,” said Ms Moore-Walsh. “Now our members are refusing to acknowledge the barrier. It was introduced over Easter while we were on holidays. Needless to say, people are quite upset... We’re asking, what information is being held when you have this chip put in?”

She said that nationwide agreements between institutes of technology and staff, made as a result of Labour Court recommendations, are starting to be fulfilled by other college authorities, but not in Waterford. “We’ve been owed money and people are extremely upset about this. WIT have refused to pay a penny.”

Staff have looked for a designated parking area, separate from the students’ parking, to ensure they get a space and get to lectures on time. Some have to shuttle between the college’s three campuses in the city.

In a statement, a WIT spokesman said that the new system was introduced “to boost safety and improve driver habits” and to ensure staff, students and visitors to the main campus “can use the free car parks safely”.

The pilot programme will be monitored to assess its effectiveness and, according to WIT, will cut out the temptation for people to park illegally, particularly in safety zones.

“The practice of parking in non-designated areas will be eliminated — thus ensuring that WIT complies with health and safety requirements,” said the spokesman.