The LYIT campus
Institute of Technology academic staff represented by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), including Letterkenny lecturers will take a day’s strike on Wednesday, February 3rd to commence a campaign of industrial action over a number of crisis issues within their sector.
In December, third level members voted in a national ballot by a margin of 92% in favour of a campaign of industrial action up to and including strike action.
Key concerns highlighted by Donegal-based Joanne Irwin, TUI Vice-President include chronic underfunding of the sector (36.4% in LYIT), a 36% rise in student numbers (LYIT) over a time of when lecturer numbers have fallen and the precarious employment status of many lecturers.
The union is urging the Department of Education and Skills to meaningfully engage with them and to urgently address the issues.
“Every day, Institute of Technology lecturers see first-hand the damage that an era of austerity cuts wreaks on the student experience of higher education.
“The Institute of Technology sector has been brutalised by an era of anti-educational cutbacks and the latest figures speak for themselves. Funding was cut by 35% (€190m) between 2008 and 2015. Over the same time period, student numbers rose by a staggering (32%) 21,411 while lecturer numbers actually fell by 9.5% (535). This has had a direct, detrimental effect on the quality of service to students and the working conditions of academics.
“While the vast increase in numbers participating in third level education is most welcome, the complete failure to provide appropriate funding and to maintain appropriate staffing levels is having a direct, negative impact on the student experience of higher education. For example, students now experience larger class sizes, less access to laboratories and libraries and sharp cuts to tutorials and other student supports.
“Meanwhile, lecturer workload has increased significantly and intolerably in recent years. Findings of a survey carried out by TUI (April 2015) show that lecturers are experiencing high levels of work related stress as a result of cutbacks and rationalisation measures.
“The sector has made an enormous contribution to social, economic and cultural development, yet this success is being dangerously undermined by short sighted and vicious austerity cuts.
“In the absence of any move towards remedying this unacceptable situation, academic staff in the institutes have been left with no option but to take strike action. We urge the Department of Education and Skills to engage with us on these crisis issues.’
Technological Universities Bill – Minister must address grave problems
‘In this context, the decision to press ahead with publication of the Technological Universities Bill at this time is worrying in the extreme. The intention to effect such huge change without full commitment to proper resourcing in an era of hugely damaging cutbacks to the sector is grossly ill-advised. The requirement that Institutes of Technology must merge before they can apply for Technological University status is more related to rationalisation of the sector than to any academic considerations based on the particular missions, values and ethos of particular institutes. The exact rationale for this requirement has never been clearly established and it must be removed from the Bill. The Minister must talk to TUI about the grave problems with the Technological Universities Bill.’
