Wed July 8th, 2015

Precarious employment is rampant in Higher Education, Mike Jennings, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) said today, addressing the Biennial Conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

“In the UK universities have been found to be twice more likely to offer zero hours contracts than the next worst sector in the economy.”

In Ireland almost 100% of researchers in higher education are employed on temporary contracts. Indeed, IFUT has represented workers who have been kept on temporary contracts for up to 14 years, he said.

“In order to justify such mistreatment, UCD has publicly declared that ‘there is no such thing as a career as a researcher, it is traineeship.’

“As a trade union, IFUT fights such abuses daily.

“In addition as an advocate for higher education, we are appalled at the harmful effect on the standard of education delivery, as our young people’s education is being damaged. 

“No allowance is made for time spent preparing for lectures, no time is allowed to engage in original research and no payment made for meeting students experiencing difficulties,” Mike Jennings said.

ENDS

For further information on this media release please contact:
John Gallagher, John Gallagher Consulting. Tel. 0879369888
Mike Jennings, General Secretary, IFUT. Tel. 0876776747