Technological university staff protest over regional pay variations

Protests took place at campuses, including at Munster Technological University, over the non-adherence by the department in regard to a collective agreement

Shane O’Rourke, TUI member executive and maths lecturer at Munster Technological University, leading the chant during Tuesday’s lunchtime protest. Pictures: Chani Anderson

Industrial action may be taken if the Department of Further Education fails to engage meaningfully with third-level members at technological universities, the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has warned. 

On Tuesday, protests took place at Munster Technological University (MTU) and nationwide over the non-adherence by the department in regard to a collective agreement on the establishment of the technological university sector. 

The collective agreement had been voted on in a national ballot by TUI members in third-level education in 2017. 

It provided for the retention of the technological university sector. 

The agreement also highlighted that there would be prior meaningful communication, consultation, and negotiation with the union on relevant matters. 

This would see all positions across the sector share the same terms and agreements and not see a regional variation in salaries and conditions. 

However, according to the union, the department and management have not adhered to this agreement and it described its approach as an "attempt to have each [technological university] free to operate separately, without regard or recourse to national negotiation". 

Staff on the picket line at Munster Technological University.

"This is a clear and wholly unacceptable breach of a collective agreement accepted in good faith by our members," a spokesperson said. 

They added that there were "no departures from agreed pay and conditions until recently" where some new pay grades were "approved by government departments without any engagement with the TUI at the agreed national negotiation forum". 

The spokesperson said that the grades advertised in MTU were at a lower pay scale than similar positions in Dublin.

"MTU are in the process of advertising 11 new positions with pay and conditions that have been unilaterally set without recourse to the agreed national negotiation forum, despite the commitment made in the 2017 agreement to bring all such proposals to a national negotiating forum in the first instance," the spokesperson added. 

The TUI is now urging the Department of Further Education to engage meaningfully on these issues and warned that if they fail to do so, the union "already has a strong mandate for a campaign of industrial action up to and including strike action".