May 9th, 2015
Huge damage is being done to independence and freedom of decision-making in the University Sector due to the new ‘managerialist’ approach increasingly asserting itself in our universities Mike Jennings, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) said at the organisations Annual Conference in Dublin, Saturday May 9th, 2015.
“Academic Freedom and institutional autonomy, long the twin essential characteristics of our universities, are under increasing threat to the extent of undermining our universities,
“This became evident in TCD’s disgraceful treatment of its own staff to the extent where even the Government was shocked and forced to act.
“UCC and other universities abuse the little institutional autonomy they have left by wasting many thousands of euro every year paying Europe’s most expensive lawyers to wage war on their own employees.
“Democratic Accountability is a requirement, but it is being made synonymous with “control.”
“What we need is a coming together of all of those who believe in the core values – in the idea of a university – to work together to reverse the damage that has been done. To do this we need to endorse democratic accountability and to distinguish this from external micro-management bordering and simple ‘control’
Mike Jennings called for abolition of the so-called Pension Levy.
“It was designed for the sole purpose of penalising Public Sector employees exclusively. In addition all outstanding unpaid awards arising from Labour Court Recommendations and Pay Reviews must be honoured and implemented.
“In addition, it is simply impossible to contemplate any further discussion on productivity, in an environment where tacehr numbers have reduced significantly, at the same time as a wide range of additional work and responsibilities have been accepted and when student numbers have soared in our colleges, Mike Jennings said.
ENDS
For further information on this press release please contact:
John Gallagher, John Gallagher Consulting. Tel. 087.9369888
Mike Jennings, General Secretary, IFUT. Tel. 087.6776747.
