IFUT fights redundancy threat to university staff
IFUT has called on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions not to finalise any new pay deal until threats of redundancy against university staff are resolved.
The call follows a decision by IFUT members in NUI Maynooth to ballot for industrial action, following the decision of the college to issue a compulsory redundancy notice to a permanent staff member. The college move is a clear breach of all prevailing norms and understandings that preclude compulsory redundancies in the Public Sector, IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, says.
Calling on the college to reverse its compulsory redundancy threat, Mike Jennings said, “it is ironic that this threat is being instigated at the same time that IBEC are citing permanency in employment in the public service as a reason for restrictions to pay increases in the current round of Partnership talks.” It is believed Maynooth is the first university to attempt to issue compulsory redundancy in this way.
Mike Jennings says: “The long-established guarantee of protection against compulsory redundancy in the public service is under serious threat; this has massive implications for academic staff in every college.” IFUT has referred the matter to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions who in turn have received confirmation from the Department of Finance that there is no change to the policy of no compulsory redundancies in the public service and none is contemplated. IFUT is awaiting a response to a formal complaint to the National Implementation Body (NIB), the highest dispute resolution body in the State.
The IFUT Press Release is available here.