Trinity College Dublin staff to ballot for industrial action

Non-academic employees to vote on action over access to permanent contracts

Up to 700 non-academic staff at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) are to ballot for industrial and strike action in a dispute over access to permanent contracts.

The workers, who are represented by Siptu, include security guards and administrative, maintenance and library staff.

Siptu sector organiser Karl Byrne said TCD management was no longer offering permanent contracts to non-academic staff and was instead placing them on fixed-term contracts of between one- and seven-years.

Mr Byrne said: “It is the view of our members that the management of the university is using the granting of fixed-term contracts as a means to avoid offering workers proper contracts of employment that would provide them with permanent and pensionable jobs.”

Jack McGinley, Siptu’s education sector president, said the issue of the non-replacement of permanent staff had been ongoing for the last two years.

He said there had been little progress on the issue, despite conciliation conferences and other talks.

Consultation process

Mr McGinley said a consultation process involving Siptu members at the university was now underway.

“This process will continue for the next two weeks, during which a ballot will also be conducted on industrial and strike action, to be commenced should management fail to meaningfully engage with us to find a resolution to the issues in dispute,” he said.

“Siptu representatives remain available to engage in meaningful negotiations with management on the issues in dispute.”

Source: www.irishtimes.com

Journalist: Carl O'Brien