Lecturers in St Angela’s College, Sligo will engage in a second day of strike action on Thursday 16th April over serious concerns related to the proposed incorporation of the college into NUI Galway (NUIG). The action was approved by the executive committee of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) on Friday. The union has criticised the refusal of NUIG to engage in any discussions with it on the matter and stated that the incorporation could have devastating economic and educational consequences for the region of the concerns if lecturers are not addressed. A first day of strike action was taken on the 10th of March.
Speaking today, Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) Deputy General Secretary Annette Dolan said:
‘The ongoing industrial action in St Angela’s College has not been taken lightly. Over the last year, TUI has exhausted every avenue in an effort to find acceptable solutions to the serious concerns of lecturers around a number of issues.
Repeatedly, TUI has asked for meaningful negotiations with St Angela’s College management and NUIG. The refusal of NUIG to negotiate with TUI is an affront to all established industrial relations practices.
TUI members in the college are willing to have their issues of concern discussed in a meaningful and robust manner at a Labour Relations Commission (LRC) conciliation conference. However, management at St Angela’s have indicated the unwillingness of NUIG representatives to attend the LRC. Clearly, any conciliation conference convened without NUIG representation would be a futile and sterile exercise. Lecturers in the college have been left with no option but to call a second day’s strike action.
As the union representing lecturing staff in St Angela’s College, TUI insists that regional provision of third level education must continue on the campus for existing and future students. As it stands, there is no guarantee that the provision of Home Economics and Nursing Studies will continue at St Angela’s College, nor is there any guarantee in relation to the retention of lecturing jobs on the campus.
Under the proposed incorporation, lecturers would carry out the same duties as colleagues but their job titles would change and they would have little or no opportunity for career progression. They would effectively be demoted.
The college is of huge importance to the local economy, and has a remarkable track record of producing graduates of the highest quality.
The incorporation could have devastating economic and educational consequences for the region if the serious and justified concerns of lecturers are not addressed.’