Strike over UCC pay dispute called off

A one-day strike which could have brought UCC to a halt today has been called off in light of agreement on how to resolve a pay dispute at one of its most prestigious research centres.

It was feared that many of the 1,200 Siptu and Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) members might refuse to pass pickets placed at the gates by 120 colleagues from the Tyndall National Institute.

However, they voted yesterday to accept a deal that any issues that remain unresolved when a process to put them on equal pay with counterparts in UCC is finalised can be referred to the Labour Court for binding resolution.

There is also now an agreed six-week period in which any pay differentials to emerge from an independent job evaluation exercise must be rectified, otherwise triggering referral to the Labour Court.

SIPTU and IFUT members at Tyndall yesterday overwhelmingly backed the deal, finalised at the Labour Relations Commission on Monday.

Siptu education organiser, Louise O’Reilly, said staff are now confident that the process will not continue indefinitely.

IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings said that addressing inequities of up to 20% in pay is a victory for common sense.