Union expresses concern at staff members' claims of bullying at University of Limerick

The call on UL to 'remind all employees about the impacts and consequences of bullying in the workplace' came in Unite's monthly newsletter. File picture: True Media

A union representing workers at the University of Limerick has expressed concern at the number of bullying complaints it has received from staff.

Writing in his monthly newsletter to members, Unite convenor Eoin Devereux said he is “struck by the number of cases and inquiries I and the wider executive have had concerning bullying behaviours in UL”.

He said that Unite “will not tolerate any bullying of its members”, and called on the UL executive to “remind all employees about the impacts and consequences of bullying in the workplace”.

Unite made similar claims about bullying being rife at the university in early 2020, saying at the time that the issue “is affecting the mental health of employees”.

UL has faced a slew of misgovernance allegations over the past eight years.

Earlier this year, it had some €3.7m in capital funding temporarily withheld by the Department of Higher Education until acceptable assurances regarding its financial soundness had been provided. That funding was eventually reinstated at the beginning of the summer.

However, a senior source at the university said that it has been “clear for many years that there were serious issues with governance at UL”.

“For the union to be so critical given the previous failings noted suggests that the place is actually out of control,” the source said.

“The university is currently undertaking a ‘cultural audit’, spending taxpayers’ money to ask people what they most like about UL. In the meantime, they are bullying people.”

A spokesperson for UL said college management “abhors” bullying and “reiterates that there is no place for any kind of inappropriate behaviour among either staff or students”.

The spokesperson said there are “robust processes and procedures in place” to deal with instances of bullying when it is reported, adding that all staff and students within UL are both encouraged and supported in reporting of such practices.

UL said that statistics suggest that formal cases of bullying have decreased at the university since 2020 under its workplace dignity, respect, and student dignity policies.

Regarding the culture audit, the spokesperson said that it had been set up at the request of the governing authority to “gather sufficient data” from staff to aid senior management in employing a transformational process for the university’s organisational culture.

“The methodology being used is recognised as international best practice in such initiatives,” they said.