1. New University Statutes

During the year, it was decided to set up an IFUT Committee on the Universities Act and to subsume the activities intended for the Working Group on New University Contracts under it when such contracts were forthcoming. The Committee met twice during the session and concentrated on draft statutes. To a certain extent, of course, these will determine new university contracts, although no draft of the latter has yet been produced.

While work has been going on in a number of institutions concerning statutes, only one set came to fruition during the year and that was in NUIM. The Committee on the Universities Act, Council and the Executive devoted a lot of their time to going through drafts of these statutes and, in particular, clauses concerning dismissal and tenure. Considerable lobbying was undertaken locally as a consequence. As a result, references in the dismissal clause to “redundancy” and the “Redundancy Payments Acts” were removed. The text which remains is still regarded as unsatisfactory and, indeed, somewhat defective from a legal point of view. But at least the final situation was an improvement over the initial draft. In the second instance of tenure, the original draft read: “The tenure of an officer shall be determined by the terms of his or her contract of employment subject to the provisions of these Statutes.” The final version is: “Subject to the satisfactory completion of any probationary period provided for in an Officership’s contract of employment, that Officer of the University shall have tenure and these Statutes shall be construed accordingly.” Again, there was an improvement, although there is no definition of tenure, anymore than in the Act, although it could be argued that the Act required such a definition. The advice of the union’s lawyers was not to take a case concerning these clauses in the absence of an attempt to put them into effect in any instance, but to bear in mind the relevant points should one arise. In lobbying on any other draft statutes, an effort will be made to improve the situation beyond that of Maynooth. Once more, it should be stressed that no persons in post can have their terms and conditions of employment adversely affected by any new Statutes.

The Private Bill concerning TCD continues to proceed slowly through the Oireachtas and it is not clear at the time of writing as to when that process will be complete, although there are hopes that there may be a conclusion before the end of 2000. Developments were also slowed up by legal challenges to the way the university was handling the matter.

2. UCC Governing Authority

Pursuant to a Council resolution, it was decided to write to UCC on 19 May 2000 as set out hereunder.

“The national Council of IFUT has considered the under-representation of non-professorial academic staff on UCC’s Governing Body. You will recall that, following our Annual Delegate Conference in 1998, we sent UCC the following resolution:

‘The Annual Delegate Conference of IFUT notes with concern that, following the passage of the Universities Act 1997, the Commission for NUI, Cork has determined the number of representative places on the Governing Authority for non-professorial academic staff at the minimum number permitted by the Act, unlike the determination made in the other Irish universities. ADC calls on the Governing Body of NUI, Cork to redress this imbalance at the earliest opportunity.’

“In view of the fact that the term of the current Governing Body is due to end in January 2001, the Council of IFUT calls for the representation of non-professorial academic staff on the Governing Body to be brought into line with that in the other Irish Universities.”

3. University Visitor/Ombudsman

The IFUT Working Group on this subject produced two documents during the year. The first was put forward by Paddy O’Flynn of UCD and Colum Ó Cléirigh of St Patrick’s College, Drum-condra, to the Council meeting of 9 October 1999 and the second by Paddy O’Flynn to the meeting of 6 May 2000. Subsequent to the latter, it was decided to circulate the documentation to Branches for their reactions which are awaited. There are a number of options under consideration: Visitor or Ombudsman, localised or centralised approach, and scope of concern.

4. CHIU & Economic Growth

IFUT received from the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities a submission to the Government entitled Guaranteeing Future Growth. This was referred by Council to the Executive which examined it and gave the support which was requested.

5. UNESCO & Higher Education

In respect of the UNESCO Recommendation on Higher Education Teaching Personnel, the union continued to press the Government about action on foot of it and what report was being made to UNESCO as required by that body. In fact, there has been little or no progress on the issue during the year, although IFUT has been advised that Ireland is not unique in that, to date, no member State has made the report which was expected of it. However, along with the Education International, to which the union is affiliated, this matter will continue to be raised.

6. Teacher Education in Ireland

Largely on the initiative of the President, Maureen Killeavy of UCD, a conference entitled Towards 2010: Teacher Education in Ireland Over the Next Decade was organised on 22 and 23 October 1999 in TCD. The agenda was as follows.

Opening of Conference, Dr Maureen Killeavy, President, IFUT. The following three agenda items were chaired by Professor Ciarán Byrne, Vice President, University of Limerick: The Higher Diploma in Education: a NUI Perspective, Dr John Nolan, Registrar, NUI; The Challenge for Third-Level Institutions of Teacher Education 2000-2010, Professor Emeritus Denis Lawton, University of London. The following two agenda items were chaired by Dr Tom Kellaghan, Director, Research Centre, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra: Economic Perspectives on Teacher Education 2000-2010, John Sheehan, Economist, UCD; Political Perspectives on Teacher Education, 2000-2010, Seán Farren, Educationalist and Politician. The following two agenda items were chaired by Ms Niamh Bhreathnach: Teacher Education in the Information Age, Professor Niki Davis, Educationalist and ICT Specialist; The B Ed Degree: Arguments for Reform, Dr Andy Burke, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. Close of Conference was conducted by Daltún Ó Ceallaigh, General Secretary, IFUT.

It is intended that the proceedings will be produced in book form shortly.

7. Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science invited IFUT to attend a meeting with some of its members. Paul McElwee of St Catherine’s College represented IFUT and gave the following report.

“IFUT as an organisation with experience and expertise in the area of Science Education was asked to attend a meeting, on 6 April 2000, with Deputies Richard Bruton and Denis Naughton in their capacity as rapporteurs to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science. The particular concern of this Committee is an examination of the current state of learning in science at primary, secondary and third level. Representatives from the Higher Education Authority and the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation also attended. Among the issues discussed were:

· the adequacy of current course provision in science at third-level in terms of the teaching skills of lecturers. Reference was made to the Training of Trainers scheme where courses on teaching skills have been offered to staff and to the significance that third-level institutions now attach to this important aspect of the lecturer’s role.

· the dominance of a summative exam like the Leaving Certificate in dictating the methods of teaching science at second-level. The argument was made that in order to enhance the practical, investigative and problem solving aspects of science these must be incorporated into the examination system such as is found with the technological subjects. Logistical arguments against the introduction of practical exams in science at second-level were highlighted by one of the other representatives present. It was pointed out that the excellence in science teaching and learning found in countries such as Israel could be attributed to the diverse and interesting teaching methods found in the classroom. It was also pointed out that despite the importance of science in meeting the demands on Ireland to compete in a knowledge based society and in introducing more exciting approaches to the teaching of science some universities have made only part-time appointments of lecturers in Science Education.

· the adequacy of funding to meet the needs of research in science was also discussed in the light of recent innovations such as the PRTL (Programme for Research at Third-Level) administered through the HEA.”

8. National Council for Curriculum
& Assessment

IFUT involvement in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment during the year was as follows.

Council: Eugene Wall, MICL.

primary curriculum co-ordinating committee: Eugene Wall, MICL.

steering committee for information & communication technologies: Maureen Killeavy, UCD.

steering committee for special education:

Brendan Spelman, UCD.

Eugene Wall and Roland Tormey of MICL represented IFUT at the launch of the Primary School Curriculum in the Department of Education and Science on 9 September 1999.

Further to a request of 14 March 2000, IFUT nominated Anne O’Keeffe of MICL to the NCCA Steering Committee for a Pilot Project on Modern Languages in Primary Schools.

9. Adult Education

The IFUT Working Group on Adult Education produced its submission during the year and it was published in the Spring 2000 edition of ifut news.

10. Irish in Education System

During the year, Gael Linn produced a document entitled Polasaí Oideachais 2000/Education Policy 2000 in respect of both the Republic and Northern Ireland. The Executive is looking at this with a view to considering making a submission, as requested. Any involvement by members interested in this would be appreciated.

11. Year of Languages Committee

In January 2000, a representative of the Department of Education and Science contacted IFUT about making a nomination to the National Committee regarding Year 2001 - European Year of Languages. Cormac Ó Culleanáin of TCD agreed to represent IFUT accordingly.

12. Other Events

Colum Ó Cléirigh of St Patrick’s, Drumcondra, represented IFUT at the USI Introductory Evening for the incoming officers and the new college year on 3 August 1999.

Ciarán Sugrue of St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, represented IFUT at the official launch of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) on 10 February 2000.

Gareth Cox of MICL represented IFUT at the Celebration of Music in Our Schools event organised by ASTI on 5 March2000.

Maeve Martin of NUIM represented IFUT at Challenges for the Millennium - International Conference on a Vision of Higher Education organsied by WIT, DCU, HEEU,[2] and NUIM on 24 May 2000.

II. REMUNERATION

1. General Wage Rounds

During the year, the last two general increases under the P2000 agreement were paid to members at the rate of 1.5% with effect from (w.e.f.) 1/7/99 and 1% w.e.f. 1/4/00.

A new agreement for the period 2000-2003 was drawn up entitled Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) which was accepted by IFUT and endorsed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. In the coming session, this will allow for a general increase in respect of all members of 5.5% on 1/10/00. On the same date, there will be a compensatory increase of 3% as well for the ‘early settlers’ of special increases under immediately preceding wage agreements. In other words, those in the EO/HEO and AP/PO relativity ranges are affected. Details of these relativities have been given in the last edition of IFUT News, but an example, in UCD terms, is Assistant Lecturer up to and including Associate Professor. Professors are not affected because they got substantially more in their last special increases since 1/4/94.

The other general increases due under the PPF are 5.5% w.e.f. 1/10/01 and 4% w.e.f. 1/10/02 with the Programme finishing at the end of June 2003.

A very significant aspect of the PPF was the agreement in general principle that future special increases would be considered, not in terms of relativity (such as with the Civil Service in most cases for IFUT), but by the method of benchmarking. That means having regard to levels of duties and remuneration for comparable jobs across the entire employment spectrum in the State. Details of this exercise are being worked out at the moment and should become clear from July onwards. However, it should be understood that the unions are not accepting that any specific principle of relativity (EO/HEO etc.) is ended as of now and until such time as a report on benchmarking may be affirmed by the parties to the PPF in 2003. In any event, no further special increases are due until after the end of June of that year.

2. P2000 2% Partnership Increase

This allowed for a 2% increase in salary also w.e.f. 1/7/99 (i.e. on top of the general 1.5% increase on the same date). The condition was entering into a Partnership Agreement in each institution. There has been no dispute about the principle of this payment and the condition attaching thereto and it has been duly made in most instances. However, there have been delays in some institutions of one kind or another in regard to actual disbursement. Offers have been made in DIAS and St Catherine’s and Head Office is awaiting confirmation of settlement. The adjustment in current terms has been made in TCD, but clarification has been sought on the retrospection. The cases of the Colleges of Education covered by APSCE [3] have been referred to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) for failure to conclude the matter. There is some state of confusion about the payment to Professors and Associate Professors in NUIG involving the HEA and efforts are being made, both locally and centrally, to sort this out at the moment. In some instances, the difficulties appear to be bureaucratic whereas, in others, they involve the finalisation of the necessary Partnership Agreement. In the latter respect, while the services of Head Office are always at the disposal of the members concerned, there cannot be a centralised agreement and there must be local accords in the matter.

3. Exam Payments

The matters which needed to be brought to a conclusion during the year in respect of some or all institutions and some or all relativity increases, as the case may be, concerned the following increases; 1% w.e.f. 1/4/94, 0.75% w.e.f. 1/6/95, 0.75% w.e.f. 1/6/96, 0.5% w.e.f. 1/6/97, 1% w.e.f. 1/1/98, and 2% w.e.f. 1/7/99. These are apart from the effect of percentages arising from general increases.

The last of these increases has only been fully sorted out in RCSI. Although there is obviously a retrospective effect to the middle of last year, this issue could only be procedurally raised in February 2000 when Partnership Agreements began to come on stream. It is hoped, however, that the situation can be finalised in relation to the relevant institutions for the Summer examinations and without reference to the LRC. The problem with such references, both here and elsewhere, is that they sometimes have to be made not to deal with a dispute in principle but a bureaucratic logjam which is not really the proper function of the Commission.

The other payments have been generally dealt with except those for the period 1/6/95 to 1/1/98 in respect of St Catherine’s College and CICE. It has to be said that the two institutions in question are featuring regularly in IFUT business by way of being problematic in settling remuneration matters, although it is not always clear if the locus of difficulty lies in the Colleges or the funding authorities. In any event, the situation has had to be referred to the LRC which is investigating it at the moment.

In some other institutions, certain queries about particular exam payments are being pursued, but it appears that these may be of a technical nature in seeking to reach agreement on exact calculations and dates of applicability vis-à-vis actual periods of examination.

4. Professorial Relativity

An issue which developed at the beginning of this year concerned the Assistant Secretary (A S) relativity of Professors in respect of the Civil Service. The union was advised of a decision by Government, about which it had not been consulted, to have professorial salaries in future examined by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, otherwise known as the Buckley Review Body. This would mean that the Review Body could recommend that Professors should henceforth continue to enjoy the same salary level as Assistant Secretary or receive more or less than that. It may also be that the body could recommend differential salaries for Professors.

Insofar as relativity means getting the same increases as another grade without having to be examined in one’s own right, the A S relativity would have been broken. That would not make much material difference if comparability of salary were confirmed, but it would lead to the establishment of a principle which could have different results in future. The union protested to the Taoiseach at the taking of a decision without consultation with the union and stated that any implementation of it would have to be put on hold until such time as the members concerned were in fact consulted. The Taoiseach’s Department communicated with the Minister for Finance about the issue and the Minister seemed to concede in his reply that the union should have been consulted beforehand, albeit pointing out that that was the duty of the Department of Education and Science! IFUT then engaged in extensive consultation with the members as a result of which it was decided to call for the rescission of the Government decision. A second letter to the Taoiseach of 15 June 2000 is set out hereunder.

“This is further to the letter from your Assistant Private Secretary, David Feeney, of 9 March 2000 and copy letter to you of 8 March 2000 from the Minister for Finance which he enclosed.

“Since then, we have been through a lengthy and exhaustive process of consultation with the members concerned in regard to the above [Review Body reference] and the conclusion has been reached that they should not be included within the scope of the Review Body in question. Therefore, we would request that the Review Body be asked not to take submissions on the subject of Professorial remuneration or examine that subject or make a recommendation in relation thereto.

“First of all, we would reiterate the point, which has been conceded by the Minister for Finance, that IFUT was not consulted about a proposal for such inclusion and was only informed belatedly of the decision on 2 February 2000. Secondly, we would note that the members of IFUT in question are neither public servants, unlike most of those covered by the Review Body, nor voluntarily accepting examination by it, unlike a smaller number within the scope of the Review Body who are not public servants. This we believe to be of considerable legal significance. Thirdly, since the communication to us of the wish to include Professors within the scope of the Review Body, and just recently, the Department of Finance has proposed that all other academic grades be looked at by the Benchmarking Body, pursuant to the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. In other words, if Professors were to be within the scope of the Review Body, there would be one body examining their position and another body possibly looking at the position of all of their other academic colleagues.

“In the penultimate paragraph of the Minister for Finance’s letter, and the last sentence thereof, there is an indication that, if IFUT does not wish to have the Review Body examine the remuneration of Professors, that wish can be acceded to and the state of affairs before the referral will prevail, i.e. until such time as it may be superseded on another front. In effect, therefore, we are calling for that position to be adhered to.

“Your early confirmation that the Review Body will be asked to remove Professors from its remit would be appreciated.”

We refer again here to the Benchmarking Body mentioned above in Section 1, in that Professors could be included within the scope of that and could, along with others, have their relativity ended by that means in 2003, although one would of course be seeking to take full advantage of benchmarking to enhance the position of the members otherwise. However, that is a different matter from relativity definitely ending now, although there is unlikely to be a special salary increase by either route until after 30/6/03.

5. Special Academic Salary Rates

At the May 2000 meeting of Council, the General Secretary advised that the HEA was consulting with university authorities about the possibility of offering special rates above the standard scales to some academic recruits. This would be to help the employment of persons who would be difficult to get otherwise in certain market conditions. The key consideration from the union’s viewpoint would, of course, be that any such arrangement, if it were introduced, would not lead to a diminution in the procurement or advancement of salaries which people would enjoy otherwise. Apparently there are differences among the universities as to whether or not such an arrangement would be a good one and there is also the suggestion that any special rates, if introduced, should operate for a five-year contract at most. The matter is being kept under review.

6. Vets in UCD

Progress was made during the year, albeit slowly and with the assistance of the LRC, in matters such as research time, clinical allowances, time per annum spent on hospital related work, and, Devlin time. (The latter refers to the entitlement to avail of 20% of working time on outside paid activities insofar as these feed back into the teaching and research process in the university.) However, in all of the five Departments of the Faculty in question, there are individuals who have not reached satisfactory settlements under various headings. What the union is now proposing is to hold meetings involving the General Secretary in each of these Departments with the management and the members concerned in order to try and work out a satisfactory solution.

7. SEO Members in TCD

The case for regrading of some or all Senior Experimental Officers in TCD eventually ended up at a Labour Court Hearing. The Court did not affirm the College’s position either in respect of inadmissibility of the claim under wage agreements or the substantive issue of rejecting the case for regrading. However it referred back the matter to local level for discussions, but these did not produce a positive result. It was then brought back by correspondence to the Court, but the latter felt that it could make no further useful intervention.

Insofar as the regrading claim rests principally upon the position that members are doing work above and beyond the call of duty, it has been recommended to them that they have a simple choice of continuing to perform this work or to withdraw it, without being in breach of contract or taking industrial action. The question is whether or not this would lead the College to reconsider its stance. But, even if it does not, it would mean that the members would at least not be exploited by doing things for which they are not being rewarded.

8. Salaries in RIA

The case for certain regradings here was also pressed during the year. Eventually, the members came to the conclusion, with the advice of the General Secretary, that it would be best to urge the Academy to call in a consultant to examine the situation and make recommendations thereon. The Academy management seems to be favourable towards this idea but has been experiencing difficulties with the HEA in getting it under way. Therefore, the matter has recently been referred to the LRC. At the same time, the management may be willing to go ahead with the exercise in question, although it cannot guarantee at this stage that monies are available to implement any favourable outcome and short of a Labour Court Hearing.

9. AMC Relativity

This refers to the relativity which our Dental Consultant members have with Academic Medical Consultants (AMC). Last year, it was reported that agreement had been reached in principle on implementing the relativity in question. We are happy to report this year that actual implementation occurred during the session. Details of current rates are given in the last edition of IFUT News.

10. Assistant Librarians

At the beginning of 2000, the issue of special allowances for some Assistant Librarians in TCD, in respect of assuming the duties of a retired Sub-Librarian, was raised. Some progress has been made in securing concessions from the College, but as this report is being written, they are still unsatisfactory in respect of coverage of members, although the rate was increased as a result of union intervention. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the matter can be brought to some sort of conclusion before the Summer recess.

In UCC, proposals were put to Assistant Librarian members for advancing the case of making use of the new Administrative II scale in the library area and a response from them is awaited.

III. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. Permanency & St Catherine’s

The outstanding issue of securing this status for a part-time person was resolved during the session

2. Expenses & Tax Allowance

IFUT representations in respect of academic members on this matter were successful during the session as reflected in the letter below from the Revenue Commissioners. Previous rates are shown in square brackets.

“I am prepared to allow the following flat rate expenses for 2000/2001 and subsequent years:

Professors £370 [£350]
Other Lecturers (incl. Part-time Lecturers on full hours) £315 [£295]
P/t Lecturers not on full hours £170 [£160].”

Pursuant to the resolution at last year’s ADC, representations were also made on behalf of library members. The Revenue Commissioners refused to extend the academic rates automatically to them and required responses to specific points that they queried. Advice was requested from those sponsoring the motion and is awaited.

2. Chief Technician I & Leave in TCD

Although it was reported last year that a Conciliation Conference at the LRC had led to agreement at that level on an increase in leave from 21 to 24 days per annum, this was subsequently vetoed by the HEA. The subject eventually ended up in the Labour Court and the judges gave a dressing down to the other side for agreeing to something at conciliation and then reneging on it afterwards. However, they did not produce a specific Recommendation on the issue and referred it back for local discussions. These are taking place at present.

3. Freedom of Information Act

During the year, the Government acceded to IFUT’s request that the universities be included within the scope of the Act, although this will not take place for some months and until a Ministerial order is made. When that will come is still not clear. It may be that the opposition which has developed within the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities (CHIU) has contributed to the delay.

In the meanwhile, IFUT has had a meeting and other contacts with the centralised unit on the Freedom of Information Act at the Department of Finance in order to be briefed as fully as possible at this juncture about the implications of the Act. A substantial amount of general documentation produced by the Civil Service has also been gathered. There has further been considerable debate at Council about what the implications of the Act may be, both positively and negatively. In fact, Council members were circulated with the Department of Finance document entitled Short Guide - FOI Act, 1997. As soon as it is clear that a Ministerial order is coming, which will also indicate the exact institutional scope of the Act at third-level, IFUT will seek to draw up guidelines for its members.

4. Colleges of Education

On 19 January 2000 the letter below was sent to the Minister for Education and Science.

“Student numbers in St Patrick's College now exceed fifteen hundred which have placed unreasonable demands on existing resources and staffing levels. Already hard pressed staff have now learned it is proposed to introduce a new graduate course leading to a qualification in primary teaching, in February 2000.

“The St Patrick's College Branch of IFUT wishes to indicate that without very firm guarantees in relation to outstanding and current demands on staffing, resources, buildings and a career structure, its co-operation with the proposed graduate course cannot be assumed.

“We would welcome your attending to this important issue as a matter of urgency.”

However, this did not secure any substantive response and the mater is now being looked at locally with a view to ascertaining what duties members can be expected legitimately to continue undertaking.

Also during the year, the APSCE Committee met to consider proposals for a new grading structure generally in the Colleges of Education in the light of their expansion over the past number of years, including into the wider humanities area. A proposal should be finalised around the middle of this year.

5. Ex-Carysfort Members

During the year, the IFUT Working Group on subjects of concern here continued to meet.

The most important development was the encounter with the Minister for Education & Science, Mícheál Martin, on 24 November 1999. This led to agreement in principle on the pensions issue, and the tabling of proposals for promotions without inhibiting the prospects for any other members and to take special account of the block in this area for the members concerned since the closure of Carysfort. The position is reflected in a letter of the following day to the Department.

“(1) In regard to pensions, we understand that sanction is awaited from the Department of Finance so as to incorporate all of the ex-Carysfort members in the three institutions concerned fully into the Pension Schemes of those institutions where that has not already been arranged.

“(2) We would reiterate that, in the light of prohibition from promotional opportunities for the past thirteen years, we are seeking that those of our members who are still on Colleges of Education grades be integrated into the staff of their institutions by being placed on the next highest grade there and the maximum point of the related scale. We are seeking this integration by way of special financial provision so as not to diminish in any way promotional opportunities for other members.” Details were then given.

Unfortunately, the pensions agreement has not been followed through and there has been no substantive response on the promotions issue. Further representations have been to the new Minister, Dr Michael Woods, and the university authorities. Moreover, a question has been asked in Dáil Éireann, although it elicited little information of value. The Freedom of Information Act has also been invoked in this regard. Of course, from one point of view, the change of Minister did not assist the situation, and a work to rule in the Department exacerbated it further. However, the issues in question will be a matter of prime concern in the weeks ahead.

6. Temporary Contracts

A substantial amount of information was gathered pursuant to the two resolutions at last year’s ADC concerning the nature of these contracts and remuneration for the related posts.

This was sent to the IFUT Working Group on the subject with a view to interacting with it and advancing the substantive issues. However, there have been difficulties in getting the Group together during the year and the situation will have to be reviewed in the immediate future.

7. Consultancy Fees

Following representations to the Minister for Education and Science, which were reported on last year, a letter was received from the Minister on 17 November 1999 as set out below and Branches were advised accordingly.

“The present position is that new guidelines for the engagement of consultants were circulated to the Higher Education Authority in August of this year [1999] and they in turn circulated the document to the universities. These guidelines do not set out any maximum daily rates for consultants.

“While these guidelines have been drawn up for the Civil Service the Higher Education Authority has been advised that they will take the contents into account when engaging consultants.”

The document in question is simply entitled Engaging Consultants and is issued by the Votes Control Section of the Department of Finance. It has been distributed to Branches.

8. Services to Members

During the year, it was reported that the Hospital and Medical Care Association (HMCA) scheme for IFUT members had a take-up of 142 in respect of the Hospital Sick & Cash Plan.

9. Personal Cases

Seven cases were finalised during the year in the areas of revised job description, early retirement, payment of appropriate remuneration, appointment, salary scale and pension, promotion, and permanent employment. Twenty-six cases are still ongoing in the areas of salary scale, professional added years, attendance at meetings, leave entitlement, grading, termination of appointment, reporting, pension, promotion, relations with Head of Department, loss and damage of books, harassment, specific responsibilities, HEO parity, job evaluation, office space, remuneration for certain Chairs, scale placement, permanency, and salary proportion for part-time work.

IV. GENERAL CONTACTS

1. ICTU Committees & Conferences

Listed below are the Congress committees on which IFUT has representatives and related events attended by IFUT members.

Biennial Delegate Conference - Maureen Killeavy, UCD, President, and Daltún Ó Ceallaigh, General Secretary, 6-9 July 1999.

Women’s Committee - Joan Byrne [rtd.] HRB, and Gillian Wylie, Peace Studies, ISE.

Women’s Conference - Joan Byrne [retired] HRB, and Anne Clune [retired] TCD, 24 and 25 March 2000.

Health & Safety Committee - Michael McKillen, Biochemistry, TCD.

Michael McKillen attended a NISO seminar on The Role of the Dangerous Goods Advisor on 24 February 2000.

Public Services Committee - Daltún Ó Ceallaigh, General Secretary.

Solidarity [3rd World] Committee - Séamus Ó Síocháin, Anthropology, NUIM, and Iain Atack, Peace Studies, ISE. These members have submitted a memorandum to the Executive as to how IFUT policy and action should be developed in this area and it is being considered at present.

Iain Atack represented IFUT at the ICTU-Joint Solidarity/International Solidarity Committee Seminar What Next for Trade Unions Campaigning for Debt Cancellation? on 5 and 6 November 1999.

Retired Workers’ Committee - The Biennial Meeting of this took place on 15 February 2000 and was attended by Seán Tobin, Vice President, NUIG.

2. Trades Councils Representatives

IFUT is entitled to representatives on the following Trades Councils: Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, and Limerick.

3. Inter-Union Committees

These exist formally in a number of colleges and institutions, but the regularity of meetings tends to vary. In other instances, there is a less formal set-up with occasional liaison taking place among unions as need be.

4. ICTU Position on Abortion

This was raised by a member during the year and was dealt with in the reply from the General Secretary as set out hereunder and pursuant to consideration by Council.

“First of all, you should, by now, have received by separate post from me a copy of the letter from Congress of 2/5/00 and of its response to the Green Paper on Abortion. On the point about [representing] 682,000 workers, it is now apparent, as a matter of fact, that this reference was inserted by the Journalist doing the report [in the Irish Times].

“Secondly, at its meeting on Saturday [6/5/00], Council noted that the position was and is that, pursuant to its Rules, IFUT does not take up positions on the kind of matter in question and neither is it bound by positions adopted by Congress notwithstanding its affiliation to that body. Neither can nor does Congress adopt the attitude that such affiliation has any binding effect in this regard. The positions of Congress flow either from resolutions passed at Delegate Conferences or decisions taken by its Executive Committee and that is the status of those positions.”

The letter of 2/5/00 from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions referred to was as follows.

“The policy position as set down in the submission [by ICTU to the Oireachtas Joint Committee concerned] reflects precisely the same position taken by Congress on this issue since 1983, i.e. that it is unwise and undesirable to deal with this complex legal, social and medical issue by way of Constitutional amendment. In light of the subsequent Supreme Court decision in the ‘X’ case, Congress believes that legislation is required to define the circumstances where there is a real and substantial risk to the right of life of the mother and the pregnancy may be legally terminated.”

5. Teacher Union & Other Congresses

IFUT was represented at these in 2000 as follows: Seán Tobin, NUIG, at ASTI; Maeve Martin, NUIM, at INTO; Pat Burke, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, at TUI; Hugh Gibbons, TCD, at the Ulster Teachers’ Union.

6. HERSC & Related

The Higher Education Research Standing Committee (HERSC) of the Education International Europe (EIE) met on 4 and 5 November 1999 with the General Secretary in attendance, and a further meeting on 13 and 14 March 2000 was also attended by the General Secretary. The agendas included the following: Sorbonne and Bologna Declarations [on H E]; research; European Regional follow-up to EI World Conference on Higher Education & Research; EI action programmes on higher education and research; UNESCO activities; pay and conditions database; equality - ETUCE [4] work; ETUCE professional development seminar; casualisation; research - ETUCE publications; relations with rectors’ and students’ organisations; relations with the European Parliament; results of survey on quality in higher education; proactive trade union strategy for professional development in higher education; continuation of the database on research; follow-up of ILO/UNESCO activities; and ETUCE advisory panel.

Conor Galvin of UCD represented IFUT at an ETUCE seminar on New Technologies from 3 -9 December 1999.

7. British & Irish Group of Teacher Unions

The President, Maureen Killeavy of UCD attended a meeting of this Group (BIGTU) on 29 and 30 November 1999 and a further meeting on 15 May 2000 was attended by the President and General Secretary. The agendas included the following: EI World Executive meeting; EI [5] consultative paper on structures; EI paper on Congress assistance; World Teachers’ Day; other EI international issues; EI European conference and action programme; other EI European issues; ETUCE action programme; developments relating to the general teaching councils in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales; solidarity issues - Kosovo and East Timor; British TUC meeting on international development; correspondence from friends of the Good Friday Agreement; NSPCC initiative on teacher education and child protection; 2001 World Congress; EI campaigning; EI solidarity work; UNESCO work on secondary education; WTO; OECD countries’ meeting; regionalism, possible areas for extension of the Group’s work; EIS[6]/ASTI/INTO development assistance programme; proposal for meeting of the unions in the island of Ireland; and finance.

The statement below was issued by BIGTU and its member organisations on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, 5 October 1999.

“The British and Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions, representing teachers in all sectors of education in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and as members of the international teachers’ organisation, Educational International, welcome Tuesday 5th October as World Teachers’ Day. In 1999, the last year of the 20th Century, we wish to use World Teachers’ Day to focus attention on the vital role of teachers as a force for social change.

“Teachers play a vital role in the promotion of democracy and accountability. To repressive regimes, an educated population is a dangerous population with an awareness of its rights and responsibilities. Far too often, teachers bear the brunt of human rights abuses as a result of the vital role they play in mass education, a fundamental requirement for a living democracy and accountable government. Nelson Mandela has described education as ‘the great engine of personal development’. Without teachers playing their part in education systems worldwide, many people would be denied such opportunities for personal development.

“In the last year of the 20th century, years of repression have culminated in some of the worst ethnic violence and social dislocation since UNESCO was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War. In Kosovo and East Timor - as in so many other places - the position of teachers as community leaders and transmitters of their national cultures have been particularly targeted for attacks by military and paramilitary forces.

“On behalf of our members teaching at all levels of education in Ireland and the United Kingdom, we are urging our governments to take every possible step to build lasting solutions to the problems facing Kosovo and East Timor - solutions in which teachers and the education system must have a central part.

“The British and Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions will continue to support the excellent work of Education International in supporting our colleagues in Kosovo and the neighbouring countries of the Balkans, and in East Timor and in all other parts of the world where teachers are under threat.”

The following letter of 27 July 1999 was received from the Minister for Education and Science, Micheál Martin, in response to IFUT representations at the behest of BIGTU.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Irish Government has already welcomed 1,040 Kosovan refugees into the country and will respond generously to any further requests from the UNHCR.

“With regard to their educational welfare. I have already arranged for the following provision to be put in place:

“(a) An English language summer school is being provided for a period of six weeks at each of the centres where refugees are based. These summer schools will provide intensive English language training for all children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17, and will prepare them for mainstream schooling in September.

“Additional accommodation and staffing will be provided at local schools by my Department to facilitate their enrolment in these schools.

“(b) I am also funding the provision, through the Refugee Language Support Unit in Trinity College, of intensive language training for all adult Kosovan refugees to enable them to take their place in Irish society.

“You can be assured that the educational welfare of Kosovan refugees will continue to be given priority in my Department.”

8. IFUT-AUT Co-operation

This continued through the year as usual with exchanges of documentation, both north-south and across the water.

On 12 January 2000, the General Secretary attended a meeting of the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee (NIAC) of the AUT [7] in Belfast. Among the matters discussed, were a Joint Membership Agreement between AUT and IFUT and a north-south contact arrangement, especially in the light of developments in all-Ireland bodies. Eventually a final draft of a Membership Agreement was arrived at and signed in London on 15 May 2000 and is due for signing in Dublin after the Annual Delegate Conference on 24 June 2000. A short agreement was also arrived at on the north-south dimension and a simple structure will be got under way shortly entitled Liaison.

There had been an idea floated by the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) that an all-Ireland Council of Education Unions should be set up comprising all levels. While IFUT expressed interest in this subject, it did not progress very far.

9. ETUCE & EIE Congresses

The EIE Congress took place on 26 May 1999 and the ETUCE General Assembly on 27 to 28 May and were attended by Daltún Ó Ceallaigh, General Secretary. The main agendas included the following items: Statutory Bodies, Resolutions Committee, Functioning and Role of the ETUCE, Activities Reports; Action Programmes, Financial Report, and Motions.

10. ETUCE Training Seminar

Hugh Gibbons, Vice President, TCD attended the above from 31 January to 2 February 2000 and the agenda was as follows: Information and initial training on Europe’s economic, social and education policies; social policy and employment; employment and training; free movement of persons and workers; mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications; and European education and training policies.

11. Education International & H E

The Education International World Conference on Higher Education was attended by: the President, Maureen Killeavy, UCD; Hugh Gibbons, TCD; Eugene Wall, MICL; and the General Secretary from 23 to 25 September 1999. The agenda was as follows: Workshops - Information Technology/Distance Education and Extra-territorial Providers, University Governance/Academic Freedom, Autonomy and Social Responsibility, and Salary Determination/Aims of Collective Bargaining; Higher Education Challenges for Developing Countries in Transition; Workshops - Diversity, Discrimination and Career Development Paths, Research and Research Funding, and Higher Education Unions and the Broader Trade Union Movement; Parallel Workshops - Higher Education and Research Union Strategies in EI; General Report/Recommendations for Trade Union Strategies in EI.

V. ORGANISATION & COMMUNICATIONS

1. Membership

The total membership of IFUT is 1,520 compared to 1,458 in 1999. The breakdown of this is as follows (’99 figures in brackets): 1,293 (1,232) on higher rate of subscription, 63 (66) on lower, 15 (14) on leave of absence and 149 (146) retired.

2. Executive and Trustees

The Council (see Appendix B) elected the following Vice Presidents for 1999/2000: Joe Brady, UCD; Paddy O’Flynn, UCD; Hugh Gibbons, TCD, Anne Clune [retired] TCD; Seán Tobin, NUIG; and Pat Burke, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. Joe Brady was also elected by the Executive as Vice President-Finance. The Executive met seven times during the session.

Consideration was given during the year to arrangements for making the Executive more representative of Branches and some proposals will be considered at the ADC.

The Trustees elected at the last ADC to serve for 1999/2000 were as follows: Valentine Rice, TCD; John Lewis, DIAS; and Mícheál MacGréil [retired], NUIM.

3. Council

Council met six times during the year. At the first meeting on 9 October 1999, the following persons were co-opted: Anne Clune [retired], TCD; Seán Tobin [retired], NUIG; Colum Ó Cléirigh of St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra; and Seán O’Sullivan [retired], HRB.

4. IFUT Equality Committee

This met twice during the year with agendas including the following: National Council of Women of Ireland (NCWI), equality issues, ICTU Women’s Committee, and future work plan.

5. Communications

Apart from non-IFUT items referred to above, communications to all members included the following: IFUT 1999, and Autumn 1999 and Spring 2000 editions of ifut news.

Attention should be drawn again to the IFUT web site at www.ifut.ie. This is expanding all the time and is the most up to date way of keeping in touch with IFUT developments.

6. IFUT History

On 8 March 2000, IFUT - A History by Marie Coleman was launched by the new Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods, TD. Copies were circulated to all members and are being given to any new recruits to the union. Extra copies are also available from Head Office.

An important and related document produced during the year was IFUT Annual Conference Resolutions 1968-99.

Daltún Ó Ceallaigh,

General Secretary,

24 June 2000.

Liberalisation, Deregulation and Funding of University Education

Our aims in the Irish Federation of University Teachers are the advancement of higher education and research; the promotion and protection of academic freedom; the protection of the terms and conditions of employment of our members; and the safeguarding of their professional interests. These aims are mutually interdependent, and must all be accorded equal priority if university education is to hold and maintain those educational values which inform and underpin our endeavours. At this, our first Annual Delegate Conference of the twenty-first century and of the new millennium, it seems fitting for us to ask if we as university teachers are succeeding in our efforts to achieve these aims. The world of higher education has changed in some very fundamental ways in the last decade. It seems to me that, as university teachers, we must be ever vigilant to ensure that interests inimical to education are not allowed to erode true educational values. If we fail in this regard we are no longer fulfilling our responsibilities to the young people who seek third level education in our institutions, and we are putting at risk our unique contribution to intellectual and cultural life, not only in our own country but throughout the world.

I would like to develop a theme to which I referred to in my first address as President of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, in which I examined our purpose as university teachers from a global perspective. It is no longer sufficient to view our education system in exclusively current terms, or to observe it in a purely national, or even European context. I would therefore like to revisit, in this last address of my presidency, some of the major areas which have concerned us during the last three years to see how far we have progressed in our efforts.

The beginning of the last millennium saw a Europe emerging from the ordeals of the Dark Ages in which the return of sufficient prosperity and civilised conditions marked the promise of a new moral and intellectual awakening. The eleventh century saw the development of an increased cohesion within European life and culture. From Sicily the Normans brought legal and administrative skills which Sicilians had earlier absorbed from the Byzantine civilisation. The Moors had brought their learning which owed much both to the Egyptian civilisation and to Greek Science and Philosophy. The Magyars brought far-reaching changes to the social life of central Europe and were responsible for the rise of towns and the fortified cities which were to become the birth place of universities particularly in Italy. Irish monks from the many monastic settlements which had preserved and nurtured Western European culture during the Dark Ages travelled to teach at the new centres of learning which were developing. It is of interest to note that the Irish monastic institutions stood alone in Europe during these Dark Ages as the single beacon of intellectual life and scholarship in the Western World. It is a role which we, as university teachers, may have to assume again in defence of our value systems

Here at the dawning of the third millennium we are facing a period similar in many ways to the beginning of the second millennium, in that those of us who live in this privileged part of the world are able to look forward to a time of peace, of prosperity, and of cultural and intellectual enrichment. The world today is much smaller that it was at the beginning of the last millennium, or even at the beginning of the last century. As university teachers in one of the most privileged areas of the world, we have major and compelling responsibilities, for we must be conscious of what is happening in higher education not only in Ireland or in Europe but throughout the world and particularly in the developing countries. We cannot forget our responsibilities as educators to people in those countries who are much less fortunate than ourselves and whose university institutions are much more vulnerable to exploitation.

University Education: An International

Perspective

Up to the present our members have had the advantage, indeed the privilege, of teaching in institutions which are largely autonomous while at the same time forming an integral part of the public sector with the majority of our finance coming from the public purse. However, major changes are occurring in universities globally, with growing pressure to privatise third level education and to subject it to international competition. Transnational organisations - the OECD, UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, IMF and the World Bank have all, in recent decades, played a significant part in both informing and developing policy in education. Among these organisations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have been particularly forceful in promoting policies aimed at developing a business culture in third level educational institutions.

Globalisation, of which these developments are part, has undoubtedly brought the benefits of new methods of communication, new technologies, the spreading of democratic practices and indeed many other advances. However, certain of the developments which have been heralded in recent years are a cause of major concern in that, if implemented, they will fundamentally change the nature of university education and culture.

The process of change in the funding of higher education began in 1994 with the signing by the WTO of the General Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS), the objective of which was the liberalisation and deregulation of trading in services. However, what has been suggested recently in the name of liberalisation is not the privatisation of education to free it from political control. The objectives of this new liberalism and deregulation are not designed to ensure the free flow of information in areas concerned with the advancement of science; neither are they intended to favour exchange programmes for students, teachers and researchers. On the contrary their intent is to open up educational programmes to international commercialisation and to turn educational institutions into primarily profit making entities. In the past the private nature of university education did much to maintain the independence of institutions and to guard against political interference and control. It also meant that the pursuit of knowledge in universities and their engagement in pure research activities were encouraged for their own sakes. The current impetus to deregulate, if not checked, will mean the creation of monopolistic forms of academic imperialism by the most powerful investors representing the most monopolistic cultures and value systems in the world. It seems to me, therefore, that we must be wary that the proposals being implemented by the WTO do not endanger the social and cultural objectives of the university enshrined, for example, in our own recent legislation.

It is not readily apparent that education has become a multi-million dollar industry. The initial effects of this on what is happening in our universities may not be immediately obvious. Our current relative prosperity may have resulted in our having become inward looking and unaware of the major changes which have taken place in higher education in the last decade. To cite but one figure which is an indication of the magnitude of the education market: in 1995, international trade in education, most of which was accounted for by consumption abroad, was estimated at US $27 billion dollars.

We may not think that the changes which are currently creeping into the funding of third level education could affect Irish universities. We may be lulled into a false sense of security because of our recent enlightened university legislation. Higher education institutions in many developed countries have achieved increased autonomy and their regulation has been liberalised with new framework laws while at the same time their funding has actually been reduced. These measures have created enormous pressure within institutions to pursue cost cutting measures. Moreover, the effects of deregulation and making universities responsible for raising their own funding has promoted increased competition between universities to seek new sources of income and to pursue foreign markets. These cost cutting measures, when taken to extreme, result in a contraction in permanent employment positions for academic staff leading in turn to much smaller ‘core’ departments with the major portion of teaching being diverted to teachers in casualised employment. The Irish Federation of University Teachers believes that our universities have an educational, cultural, and research responsibility to the community. We believe, too, that, as publicly funded bodies, these institutions should be accountable for providing a high quality service to the community. Each one of us as university teachers bears our share of that responsibility. We are publicly accountable. However, I would suggest that the growing pressure for universities to adopt the behaviour and strategies of global commerce is inimical to our aims, and it is both undermining the role of our institutions and the quality of the services which they provide.

Such agencies as the World Bank and UNESCO on the one hand, and multi-national corporations on the other exert major direct and indirect influences on universities. The World Bank has complained during the last decade that governments are failing to fulfil the programmes which it had demanded, particularly the operational model. In the developing countries dedicated funding for academic work often depends on the whims of trans-national agencies. The future danger of this type of influence is of growing concern as governments become less able to meet the increasing financial costs of funding education. This is of particular importance to regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. It has recently been suggested as a counter balance to these trends that networks comprising Ministers of Education and organisations such as Education International be formed to bring pressure to bear on agencies such as the World Bank and UNESCO. It is argued that such networks would be in a strong position to take a firm stand against any detrimental influences which might be exerted on the universities.

In IFUT we welcome co-operation between educational institutions, the exchange of students, of staff and of knowledge, and all the advantages and advances that flow from these processes. We wish to provide assured quality in our teaching and research. However, the changes of the last decade are not about quality of education, nor are they aimed at shared intellectual and research endeavour. In summary, therefore, I would argue that we must be wary of the growing possibility of transnational corporations gaining dominance in a sector traditionally regarded as a public service.

Supporting Our Students

As university teachers one of our major concerns is for our students. Yet paradoxically, in the university of the twenty first century there is less time available than ever before for staff to devote to their students. The career demands on academics which are partly the result of the massification of third level education, together with the ever increasing emphasis on research as the major determinant of promotional advancement make it difficult, if not impossible for teachers in today's university to devote sufficient time to small group teaching or individual work with their students. The recent study commissioned by Foróige - Meeting Youth Needs in the New Millennium, found that the overwhelming need of young people was for the development of quality interpersonal relationships, not only with parents and peers but also with other adults in their lives. Although, understandably, these young people were concerned about their education and careers, the construction of supportive and mutually respectful relationships was both a central concern and an everyday preoccupation for them. This is echoed by research in the US which indicates that the quality of students’ educational and personal experiences in college is an important determinant of whether they stay in and complete their third level education

University Teachers

In my address to the Annual Delegate Conference of IFUT last year, I pointed out that the student staff ratio in Irish universities is the third highest of the twenty-nine countries listed by the OECD. This ratio (19.2) is 5.1 points higher than the average for all the countries listed. I called then for a more manageable student staff ratio of 14:1, as a means of ensuring that the quality of our university education is maintained. However, if anything there has been a deterioration in this area over the past year. The lack of adequate promotional opportunities has been an ongoing problem for university teachers, and the ratio of junior to senior staff has been a matter of continuing disagreement between college authorities and staff associations for many years. In 1985 a claim by IFUT for an increased allocation of senior positions was countered by the claim of one college authority that 60:40 was an appropriate ratio of junior to senior staff. Regrettably, I must point out once again that this claim is completely at variance with the recommendation of the Labour Court in 1987 (LCR 11000) which suggested regarding “the present adverse promotional prospects of a large number of staff at the top of the college lecturer scale ... that the College [should] abandon the pursuit of any fixed ratio of junior to senior staff.”

As university teachers we believe that it is vital to maintain the tradition of academic freedom as an inherent function of the university. This academic freedom, the birthright of the university, is guaranteed by the autonomy of the institution. This function of the university allows for independent, informed comment and analysis on all major aspects of life which, together with such hallowed traditions as the separation of powers and the freedom of the press, form the cornerstones of a democratic society. The World Declaration on Higher Education suggests that higher education institutions have the intellectual capacity and moral prestige to set and defend universally accepted values, based on the analysis of emergent social, economic and political trends. This most important ethical function of universities can only be exercised by academics, protected by tenure within autonomous institutions.

The value of academic freedom to society generally is greater today than ever before, and it is our duty to ensure that society recognises its importance. It ensures that pure research will be fostered as well as scientific endeavour that has more immediate benefit. Even more importantly, it allows universities and academics to speak with an independent voice, free from coercive pressure.