“The ballot for industrial action which was set to be put to University of Limerick staff this week has been called off. The decision was announced to over 200 members of the university’s union, UL-Unite, at an emergency meeting this Tuesday …” (more)
[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 11 December]
“The President of UL has confirmed that the current restructuring plan of the university is now ‘paused’ and acknowledged that ‘mistakes were made’ in the formulation of the plan. In an email addressed to colleagues in relation to the restructuring plan of the university’s schools and departments, Dr Des Fitzgerald said …” (more)
[Ryan O’Rourke and Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 6 December]
“University of Limerick staff are set to be balloted for potential strike action next week as they reject UL’s Executive Committee’s offer for an extended consultation period for structural changes within the university’s schools and departments. On Monday, the Executive Committee, which is chaired by UL President Des Fitzgerald, informed staff via email that they are ‘more than happy’ to provide ‘additional time to facilitate collaborative debate’ on the proposed condensing of the university’s 24 schools and departments into 10 …” (more)
[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 5 December]
“More than 300 University of Limerick staff members gathered at a public meeting earlier this week to discuss the university’s recent controversial restructural proposal. And it was followed this week by a letter signed by 50 professors at UL looking for the reorganisation proposals to be paused by the Governing body so they can ‘instruct that reorganisation proposals are only tabled after a thorough review of the academic structures’ …” (more)
[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 29 November]
“Management at University of Limerick (UL) is facing an academic revolt after 50 professors signed a letter calling for the suspension of restructuring at the college, which they said risks making it academically ‘not fit for purpose’. The university, which is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary, has published a plan to develop a new campus in the heart of Limerick city. It is aiming to cater for an additional 4,000 mostly postgraduate or international students …” (more)
[Colin Gleeson, Irish Times, 27 November]
“Hundreds of UNITE union members at the University of Limerick (UL) are to be balloted on industrial action up to and including strike action. A letter seeking a formal ballot across all UL-UNITE staff grades was sent to the trade union’s headquarters earlier this week, Limerick Voice has learned …” (more)
[Nicole Glennon and Eoghan Moloney, Limerick Voice, 16 November]
“Construction workers and trade union representatives gathered outside the Printing House Square construction site this morning to protest against the underpayment of plumbers working on Trinity’s new student accommodation complex. With a giant inflatable rat in tow, protestors stood outside the Pearse St entrance of Trinity …” (more)
[Cormac Watson, University Times, 16 August]
“College has launched an investigation into claims that workers on the Printing House Square site have received hourly rates €2 to €3 lower than legal requirements. Plumbers and apprentices on the site complained about their wages in February to Rob Kelly, a regional organiser for trade union Unite, while he was visiting the site, Kelly told the Dublin Inquirer …” (more)
[Lauren Boland, Trinity News, 31 July]
“Since March, Rob Kelly has been trying to get somebody to care about plumbers and apprentices on a student-accommodation building site being – he says – underpaid. Once finished, Printing House Square should offer 250 beds for students, plans show. The project, which is being overseen by Bennett Construction Limited, is being built on the former site of Oisín House on Pearse Street, for Trinity College Dublin …” (more)
[Aura McMenamin, Dublin Inquirer, 31 July]
“Up to 28 staff at a language school have not been paid amid fears it has closed down. The union representing some of the teachers at Grafton College in Portobello, Dublin appealed to the Department of Education to step in and ‘not to wash its hands of this’ just weeks before Christmas …” (more)
[Laura Lynott, Independent, 3 December]
“Sir, – The Department of Archaeology in University College Cork wishes to express strong support for the position currently being taken by the trade union Unite in seeking better pay and working conditions for commercial archaeologists in Ireland (‘Archaeologists seek “appropriate” pay after site walk-off’, News, July 9th) …” (more)
[William O’Brien, Irish Times, 30 July]
“Academic staff in TCD are seeking intervention by the Workplace Relations Commission to mediate a solution on proposed changes to the academic year and holiday arrangements that will seriously impact on time available for research work. The changes, part of the new Trinity Education Project, impact on holiday arrangements and affect staff represented by IFUT, SIPTU and Unite unions …” (more)
[Irish Federation of University Teachers, 30 April]
“Almost 150 foreign students and 10 staff members have been affected by the closure of a Limerick language school which lost its accreditation following an inspection by immigration authorities. Trade union Unite, which represents English language teachers, said staff at LanLearn had been left without wages, while it has expressed concern for students left ‘stranded’ by the closure …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 22 March]
“Trinity’s trade unions are expecting a decision this week on College’s reaction to the government’s advice on fixed-term contracts, which this summer called on Irish universities to end the improper use of such contracts. In early October, the three major unions in Trinity met with the new Human Resources Director, Antoinette Quinn, to discuss Trinity’s implementations of the government recommendations …” (more)
[Aaron Finnegan, University Times, 31 October]
“Members of the Unite trade union have been advised to reject a new public service pay agreement. Representatives met on Wednesday following several weeks of consultation with members …” (more)
[Jack Quann, newstalk, 16 August]
“English Language School teachers have said that they love their job but it is impossible to stay in the sector long term because of a lack of regulation. The Unite trade union is briefing Oireachtas members today on concerns over the industry, where the majority of schools are privately run …” (more)
[BreakingNews.ie, 4 July]
“Ninety per cent of voting members of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) have voted in Trinity this evening to support strike action, coming just weeks after two other unions voted to do the same, as the dispute between college and support and service staff continues …” (more)
[Róisín Power, University Times, 12 April]
“Trinity is due to meet with the two unions representing administrative and service staff on April 11th in the latest attempt to resolve the ongoing dispute over contracts and promotions. The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) and Unite, whose members in Trinity have already voted to support industrial and strike action, will meet with Trinity on April 11th at a hearing of the Workplace Relations Commission …” (more)
[Dillon Hennessy, University Times, 7 April]
“Unite, one of the two trade unions threatening strike action in Trinity, has denounced College’s new policy on the employment of external contractors, as revealed by The University Times this week …” (more)
[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 24 March]
“Service and support staff in Trinity College Dublin who are represented by the Unite trade union have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute over contracts. Unite said the vote for industrial action followed a decision by management at the university to halt unilaterally future promotions for support and service staff, while also employing future personnel on five-year instead of permanent contracts …” (more)
[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 15 March]
