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 [...]

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 [...]

Recent suggestions regarding the public service being ‘not fit for purpose’ do not apply to the universities and their academic staff; instead, levels of productivity are being increased amid income cuts of up to 25%, Dr Hugh Gibbons, President of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), states in an address to be delivered to [...]

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 [...]

The Higher Education system is like a first-class, high-performing car that is running out of petrol and requires an immediate injection of funding and resources, IFUT said today in a message to all political parties and candidates in the General Election.
IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said that staff numbers in Higher Education are down well [...]

In response to the story of 9 November 2010 in The Irish Times on salaries in third-level education, The Irish Federation of University Teachers says that of the more than 20 000 people that work in Higher Education, fewer [...]

A little respect for the stakeholders in the higher education sector and the avoidance of ’stunts’ and ‘cheap fixes’ will go a long way and will be reciprocated, the General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, Mike Jennings, told newly-appointed Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, at the 2010 IFUT Annual Delegate Conference today [...]

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 [...]