Waterford IT union officers resign after backlash to merger vote

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris is expected to receive an application to form the long-awaited Technological University for the South East later today. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Union officers at Waterford Institute of Technology have resigned after a backlash against last week's Technological University ballot.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) will now put the terms of the merger with IT Carlow to academic staff again, potentially as early as next week, while the Minister for Higher Education is expected to receive an application to form the long-awaited Technological University for the South East later today.

The TUI branch had voted against the Technological University plans last Friday  —but turnout was only 24%. This was partly explained by the vote taking place by post. However, the president of WIT and several TDs in the region criticised the turnout, as it was roughly half that of the previous turnout in 2019.

TUI members at IT Carlow passed the merger last week while the governing bodies of both colleges have also now approved the application.

At an emergency meeting on Thursday night, members voted to re-ballot the deal, and this will take place online instead of via post.

Resignations

Four of the branch's five officers resigned in protest afterward, claiming that the new ballot holds "no assurances" for staff.

Branch secretary Dr Kathleen Moore Walsh confirmed that the officers had stepped aside. In a letter to members, she and the other resigning officers said there had been "a lot of finger-pointing" around last week's ballot, but that the four would "respect the right of all members to have opinions that differ from our own".

However, they said the new ballot risked being a rerun without any major amendments to the terms. Their positions had also been undermined and had become untenable, they added.

"There was a concerted effort to reject our efforts to bring all members along by identifying and addressing issues in an apparent effort to be expedient by seeking a new MOU ballot with no assurances.

"We respect the vote taken [at Thursday's meeting] but we have no desire to continue as officers in a branch where all the votes and voices of members are not respected. It is ironic that in the quest for the protection of the MOU that the very essence of this branch, its unity and solidarity has been undermined."

A spokesman for the TUI said that following "very well attended branch meeting" on Thursday, the decision was taken to put a new online ballot to members in the near future.

The spokesman added that last week's postal ballot was organised by the TUI Head Office as will the new ballot.

"As is normal, a simultaneous ballot of members in IT Carlow, the other institute involved in the TU consortium, will also take place," he said.

Minister Simon Harris is to appoint an international panel to review the application and make a recommendation to the Higher Education Authority. If successful the technological university is expected to be established by 1st January 2022.