Union to ballot staff at technical universities for industrial action

The Department of Higher Education said the dispute centres on the Government's decision to create a senior management team in technological universities that "reflects their position in the third-level sector". File picture: Larry Cummins

Academic staff at the country's technological universities (TUs) are to be balloted for industrial action which could see lecturers striking over a dispute with the Department of Higher Education.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) said it will ballot more than 4,600 members in the TU sector next week over what it describes as "non-adherence by management to a collective agreement" which concerned the establishment of TUs.