Irish Federation of University Teachers

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 [...]

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 [...]

IFUT has received no ultimatum from the Department of Education threatening pay cuts unless the Croke Park Agreement is accepted.
Commenting on a report in The Irish Times on 4 March last, IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said there is [...]

IFUT welcomes the unequivocal call in the National Strategy for Irish Higher Education (“The Hunt Report”) for a substantial increase in funding for Higher Education.
IFUT is also very pleased to see throughout the Report repeated acknowledgements of the current quality and high international reputation of Irish higher education. According to IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, [...]

IFUT today rejected the Croke Park proposals on pay and conditions for public servants.
In the ballot, 67.68% of the membership voted ‘No’, while 32.32% voted in favour.
IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said the vote “reflects the strong determination of our members not to have their job contracts put forward for binding arbitration.
“IFUT will be casting [...]

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has welcomed the candour of the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority, who has warned higher education staff of plans to make fundamental changes to their contracts, to close courses in colleges and extend the academic year radically.
IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings warned that the HEA’s rôle [...]

The Irish University system has always had to struggle and was never properly funded, even during the years of the Celtic Tiger, the President of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, Hugh Gibbons, said in his address to the 2010 IFUT Annual Delegate Conference today (Saturday, 24 April 2010). Now the Irish University system is [...]

The Executive of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has decided unanimously to recommend rejection of the government’s proposed agreement with the trade unions on pay and conditions.
“While recognising that there are some positives in the proposed agreement, the offer of a blank cheque for the renegotiation of staff contracts, with fundamental and far [...]

The General Secretaries and Presidents of the four teacher unions met this morning to consider the impact of the budget on teachers and their families and plan a response.
The leadership of the unions is determined to reflect the anger of teachers at the budget cuts to salaries and changes to pensions through a sustained campaign [...]

In an initial reaction to today’s Budget, Mike Jennings, IFUT General Secretary, has described the Government’s approach to education funding as one of “cut, cut and cut again”.
“Cut the pay of an already demoralised staff, cut staff numbers to the bone and cut the funds needed to replace creakingly inadequate infrastructure – that seems to [...]