College’s lecturing staff lift threat of industrial action

Lecturing staff at one of the country’s largest third-level colleges have agreed to enter further talks and have lifted a threat to some of its online courses in a dispute over workloads.

Cork Institute of Technology and Teachers’ Union of Ireland members at its campuses accepted proposals from the Labour Relations Commission, averting the industrial action that was set to begin yesterday.

The academic staff voted in April to withdraw from online teaching or development of such courses over concerns about quality and workload issues associated with widening the number of modules and courses to be delivered online. College management had claimed that those concerns were being addressed with training and with the allowance of additional time within their timetables for preparation and student support.