Archive for the 'News' Category

IFUT defers full engagement in Croke Park Agreement pending resolution of Compulsory Redundancy issue

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

The National Executive of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has voted to instruct all its branches to defer negotiations on implementation of productivity concessions under the Croke Park Agreement, pending resolution of a serious dispute in Trinity College Dublin over compulsory redundancies.
Two Lecturers in TCD with long service have been made redundant and [...]

Higher Education cuts will hamper economic recovery, says IFUT

Monday, December 5th, 2011

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has criticised the 2% cut in core funding to Higher Education in the Budget, saying it clashes with previously stated IMF policy that investment in Higher Education helps to promote future recovery in countries in economic difficulty.
IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said that the funding cuts are occurring [...]

IFUT seeks urgent meeting with Minister Ruairí Quinn over UCC legal fees

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

IFUT is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, TD, to discuss plans by UCC to spend hundreds of thousands of euro of taxpayers’ funds on a High Court appeal against a binding [...]

IFUT members vote to accept “Croke Park” after achieving significant and substantial clarifications

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

Following intensive negotiations conducted over recent months with the Department of Education and Skills, members of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) have voted decisively to accept the clarifications recommended to them by their Executive Committee.
“Our members were very wise not to accept the original proposal which was like being asked to buy a [...]

IFUT appoints new Assistant General Secretary

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has appointed Ms Joan Donegan as Assistant General Secretary. Ms Donegan was previously employed as a Branch Organiser (Industrial Relations Official) with SIPTU.
She is a qualified Mediator and has an MA from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth in Conflict Resolution Studies. In recent years she has also [...]

6000 new places for the unemployed on Higher Education courses

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, TD, has today (Wednesday, 25 May) launched a new initiative, Springboard, that will provide 6000 new places on Higher Education programmes for unemployed people. The initiative is targeted at those who were previously working but lost their jobs or were made redundant and who, with some upskilling, [...]

IFUT mourns the death of Founder Member, Dr Garret FitzGerald

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

The death of Dr Garret FitzGerald will be mourned by his fellow members of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), the union of which he remained a full and committed member up to the time of his death.
Dr FitzGerald was the only Taoiseach in Ireland’s history who was concurrently a full member of a [...]

HEA Chairman ‘losing touch with reality’, says IFUT

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Commenting on remarks by the Chairman of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), John Hennessy, that changes to HR management practices would help improve the status and functioning of Irish universities, Mike Jennings, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), said his remarks reveal the extent to which some persons in the HEA [...]

New IFUT President announced

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Dr Marie Clarke, University College Dublin, has taken over as the new President of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) following the organisation’s recent Annual Delegate Conference.
Dr Clarke is currently Head of the School of Education in UCD and has been a member of IFUT Executive for a number of years. Her biography and [...]

Minister for Education must tackle breach of European and Irish law by universities, says IFUT

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

The Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, TD, should move to protect the rights of thousands of researchers, librarians and other staff who are being placed on temporary contracts by universities, in violation of European Directives and related legislation here in Ireland, the General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), Mike Jennings, states [...]