Student unions under fire for staff redundancies and suspension

TWO students’ unions have been sharply criticised in recent weeks for the treatment of their staff.

Trinity College Students’ Union (TCDSU) issued redundancy notices to five employees, but the staff, represented by SIPTU, were unhappy with the redundancy package and manner in which TCDSU acted.

The dispute is now at the Labour Court and SIPTU says TCDSU acted in a “cavalier fashion”.

SIPTU also claims that the Union of Students of Ireland’s recent suspension of a worker happened “completely outside due process and fair procedures”.

This dispute is now with the Rights Commissioner.

As former president of TCDSU and deputy president of Union of Students of Ireland (USI), I am shocked at what these two student unions are doing.

As trade unions with workers, student unions emerged through intense struggle for the right of students’ voices to be heard in colleges and at a national level.

They were formed on the principles of democracy, social justice, women’s rights, gay rights and for international solidarity.

Just as colleges are increasingly run like businesses with non-profitmaking courses such as arts and humanities being cut, it appears student unions, too, are now adopting the business approach.

They are rationalising, cutting staff and becoming mere service providers, focused on a business ethic and the bottom line rather than representing students and following union principles.

This is demonstrated in recent negotiations between SIPTU and TCDSU where, incredibly, TCDSU was represented by IBEC, the employers’ organisation.

Despite the stereotypes, students today face considerable challenges such as the return of fees — the ‘registration’ fee is now over €1,000 in some colleges while part-time and postgraduate fees run into thousands of euro.

Students must also cope with inadequate maintenance grants, the spiralling cost of living and, of course, access still remains a serious issue.

As more and more students work while at college, issues traditionally confined to the trade unions, such as the right to join a union, the race to the bottom and the minimum wage, must now be addressed by student unions.

This is what is so shameful about the student union actions.

To campaign for and improve students’ conditions requires building strong relationships with those who are on our side, for example, union and college staff and the trade union movement.

Students must raise their voices once again and reclaim their unions to make them what they should and can be: organisations that set the standards for the rest of the country to follow in terms of setting exemplary practice for employment standards, fighting for their members and promoting social justice and equality.

USI and TCDSU should start by acting as unions — not businesses — and treat their workers properly.

Rory Hearne

Department of Geography

Trinity College

Dublin 2