University staff in strike threat over proposed work changes

Attempts to impose wide changes to terms for new and promoted staff at University College Cork have been met with a threat of industrial action by academic staff.

A new standard contract proposed by management was circulated before Christmas to unions, including the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) which represents 400 lecturers and researchers at the college.

But, at a meeting this week, members gave IFUT officers authority to call a ballot for action up to strike level if the college presses ahead with implementing un-negotiated changes to terms and conditions.

Among the contested clauses are stipulations that an employee’s work location can be moved, including elsewhere in Ireland or abroad, and without payment of compensation.

IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings said the contracts reflect a managerialist approach with little regard for academic freedom, and declaring where and what hours a person shall work without the usual consultation with staff representatives.

Siptu has also raised objections on behalf of more than 1,000 members at UCC, including clerical, administrative, and technical staff.

A UCC spokesperson said last night the university did not want to make any comment at this time.

The unions said the template contract goes beyond the stated intention of consolidating some of the changes allowed for by recent national deals such as the 2013 Haddington Road agreement.

Mr Jennings said it seeks to make permanent some measures that were only envisaged as temporary in public-service agreements, some which were to expire next year.

“We would be astonished if the university would proceed unilaterally on this. If contracts like this are issued, it could be the thin end of the wedge and management may eventually try to apply these conditions to all staff,” he said.

Siptu said it has been made aware of small numbers of revised contracts already issuing to new employees or to existing staff moving grades or promoted in recent months.

“If management have a plan to change any terms and conditions of our members, or the grades we represent, they need to talk to us first,” said Siptu official Bill Mulcahy.

“Everybody is flexible and we all know that jobs change and evolve. But nobody should accept being told they are suddenly expected to do something very different without consultation.”

Mr Jennings said reduced numbers of academic staff are already teaching ever-increasing numbers of students and that the university can not keep coming back to the well for further cuts.

Meanwhile, the question of funding pressures in higher education was discussed at the Oireachtas education committee yesterday.

Irish Universities Association chief executive Ned Costello said significant work has been done to help lessen the impact of funding cuts, such as shared procurement, significant internal changes, and revised academic contracts.

“But more needs to be done, we’re quite emphatic on this, more needs to be done on the [human resources] toolkit to ensure productiveness and efficiency in universities is maximised,” he told TDs and senators.