UCD Strike

IOL.ie

IOL.ie wrote:

Staff at University College Dublin are planning strike action next Monday as part of a dispute regarding the treatment of contract workers.

SIPTU claims the university is denying job security and pension rights to employees on fixed contracts, who make up one-third of its staff.

It says UCD is abusing the law covering fixed-term contract work in lecturing and research.

Twenty cases have already gone before a Rights Commissioner as part of the dispute.

This is the last thing we need. We're never going to be able to enrol online, are we?

Dave!

oooh, interesting!

I just heard this on the radio as well. Apparently when they say next Monday, they're referring to the 11th, not the 4th!
So everything's basically screwed up now.

Raphael

On the bright side, at least the enrolment will be done by the 11th, for the start of lectures...

..I hope

Haha, that's a good one! You're a funny guy!

RTE.ie

RTE.ie wrote:

The country's largest university, UCD, may be facing industrial action.

SIPTU has accused the university of abusing the law by offering fixed term contracts instead of permanent jobs to staff.

It says one third of the workforce is on fixed-term contracts - including lecturers, researchers, administration and services staff.

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The union says staff from all these areas will commence industrial action on 11 September unless their demands are met.

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snickerpuss

There was an article in the Irish Times today about how they were unhappy with poaching of staff from other colleges which is apparently not always done with open advertisments.

Wow everyone seems to dislike brady, students, staff, other colleges... Though all the letters in the IT today on the subject of 'poaching' of academic staff was totally positive.

Anyway, just saying.

dovescar

Well I hope it doesnt mess things up really badly, cos the first day is gonna be tough enough for us first years without having to dodge pickit lines and reporters, although this could be my chance to get on tv!!

Blush_01

Wait until Podge and Rodge are on campus again. Haven't we all been caught by that bloody thing?

Anyway, they'll sort it out. The 11th is being chosen to make the biggest impact and get attention, that's all.

tywy

some of us will have lectures cancelled on the first day so...if your lecturer choses to strike...it's kinda shít

mloc

not the best news really, given the trouble they seem to be having with the implementation of this online booking thing. plus with more years and classes beign modularised and semesterised, the last thing they need is less staff!

Het-Field

Bloody SIPTU. Of all the unions in Ireland, SIPTU are my pet peeve. They are a belligerant bunch of old farts who are contrary just for the sake of it. They are currently opposing the privitisation of Aer Lingus, and they really dont know what its about. They are a massive union, but their tecniques are rubbish and their rhetoric is childish. They are a negative force in Irish society. I wouldnt be suprised if we saw a strike in the coming months. But if at all possible, OPPOSE IT !

Stepherunie

You have to give Brady for actually keeping his job after restructuring the whole college - the President of UCC didn't. He resigned as soon as he got them reorganised into colleges and schools.

I can see the importance of these issues although with all due respect if you know you're a contract worker and don't have a pensions plan included in your work you go and get a private pension.

boneless

Het-Field wrote:

Bloody SIPTU. Of all the unions in Ireland, SIPTU are my pet peeve. They are a belligerant bunch of old farts who are contrary just for the sake of it. They are currently opposing the privitisation of Aer Lingus, and they really dont know what its about. They are a massive union, but their tecniques are rubbish and their rhetoric is childish. They are a negative force in Irish society. I wouldnt be suprised if we saw a strike in the coming months. But if at all possible, OPPOSE IT !

I agree... shower of lefty unwashed!!! They don't think of us poor students at all... some of us actually aspire to becoming a part-time no contract lecturer with bugger all employment rights in the UCDDD.

*I am being ironic, by the way... nice to see Paddy hasn't changed at all; his post gives me the hope that this is the future of negotiation in the work place... it makes us "looney" lefties look sane "

Godiva

In relation to the pensions - UCD are breaking the law by not giving their contract workers pensions.
There is no question about it. Contract workers are legally entitled to pensions. Contract workers in UCD do not have pensions. UCD continue to whinge that it's not really their fault & in turn point the finger at the Department of Education.

If said contract workers want to go off and sort out private pensions then by all means do so.... but it doesn't take away the fact that their employer is treating them less favourably than permanent employees.

I understand how some students may feel - but, with sincere honesty - the majority of the issues behind the strike are of concern to you.

Staff are unable to do their jobs because of UCDs trend of casualisation. Some departments have lost 60% of their permanent workbase onto to be replaced with a series of temporary staff.... who come in for a month or two... an disappear. This means that the staff have to spend more time training in temporary people than actually doing their job.
Take away 60% of a department. Now the staff are dealing with 3 times the workload. Add to that the constant training and supervising that they now have to undertake. Outside the employees health and wellbeing the next in line to take the effect are the students.

Or there is the subcontracting. UCD contract staff are being made redundant and are replaced with outsourced staff. The same outsourced staff, in a lot of occasions, have a high turn over.... so again there is the issue of constant training, etc.
In addition it is a lot for a person to take onboard who might only work with the university for a matter of weeks.

And think about that the next time you are dealing with UCD staff - do you think a temporary (WHICH in this sense I would like to point out is different to someone on a fixed term contract!) person actually gives a damn about helping you? Probably not. Why should they. In a couple of weeks they'll be gone.

Add to this the fact that UCD constantly fail to enter any discussions with staff. 'Consultation' sessions we find are now 'presentations' of the latest 'bright idea' that management have had.

For example, lets take the car parking issue.

SIPTU (sorry to the anti-siptu poster) asked management if they were going to introduce parking fees at a meeting in June. They said no. Absolutely not.

A few weeks ago there was a 'consultation' session with unions, etc, where the latest parking scheme was 'presented'.

This is not set in stone but was outlined as follows:
You will buy an electronic device (for 35 euro) that sits in your car. This monitors the time you spend on campus - or parking on campus at least.
You will be charged accordingly - but, and here's the GREAT news people - the charges only apply during peak periods.

Peak periods?

9am to 5pm during term.

The main unions on campus have come up with figures for how much this will cost each staff/student annually. The lowest was €600 and the highest was €900.

Also staff & students must be treated equally.

So the VPs will the same rate as any other student... though how long would a VP be on campus for?

Anyway, I didn't want to go into such a long winded post. I just wanted to say that if the strike goes ahead please offer your support to the staff. Like one poster said, the date was picked for the biggest impact - it's not an anti-student thing and the majority of the staff I know here are passionate about their jobs & about education - the very last thing they want to do is alienate students.

elmyra

Straying a bit...but that new parking plan sounds like an absolute joke. My course is no more than 15 hours a week but I spend far more time on campus between waiting hours between lectures and doing societies stuff etc, in fact I often could be there nine to five and there's no way I can pay a grand for the pleasure.

God damn them, what was wrong with the parking discs with a once off 50 euro or whatever it was?

Anyway, it would be nice to know if this strike is going ahead or not, much the same as it would be nice to know even a provisional timetable less than two weeks before term begins. Some of us have other things to organise around college.

Blush_01

To be honest, having been a student in UCD for the past three years, it's pretty obvious that the undergraduate students are far from a priority in the college. But at least they can find some basic information on UCD.ie (which is pants at best).

All I know is, I want a refund of the fees I'm paying for each day of the strike, from UCD, if it goes ahead. I'm not digging a deeper financial hole for myself for the fun of it, and if I'm not getting what I pay for, I expect either replacement of product (i.e. extension of the course as compensation) or reimbursement. Nothing to do with the staff, I can wholly appreciate what it's like to work for a wa*ker who will only give you the rights you're entitled to when forced and threatened with legal action. But I am fu*ked if I'm paying fees for something I'm not getting, when UCD's higher powers are effectively responsible for denying me what I'm paying for. I expect Paddy to back me up on this, and whoever is PG Programme Officer for the year. Or else I'll yell at then. A lot. And I'm scary. Ask Stepherunie.

BKtje

Staff would always have gotten my support over these issues but thank you for explaining exactly whats going on. Its a disgrace what a lot of employers think they can get away with.

While students feel that this will affect their future and complain (slightly overblown i know) but these people are living their future and i'd hope that if i ever had problems like these at work that customers would support and understand. In the long run it is the customers after all who also loose out and not just the staff.
Not sure what students can do exactly to help but putting pressure on the university in some way would probably help. That said im not tactical genius when it comes to these things.

How UCDD think that the average student can afford 600-900 euro parking charges is beyond me.

panda100

Blush_01 wrote:

But I am fu*ked if I'm paying fees for something I'm not getting, when UCD's higher powers are effectively responsible for denying me what I'm paying for,

Heya blush,can I just ask for my own curiosity what you feel you are being denied in UCD for what your paying for?what do you think should also be included for what you are paying for?

Merci beacoups

Blush_01

Well Panda, as a taught Masters student I'm paying almost €4,500 in fees for the year. I feel that I should at least get lectures for that €4,500. What do you think?

In the event of a strike I'd be paying my €4,500 for no lectures. That's not a very good deal on my part. UCD still gets its money, but I get no education (despite the expense incurred by this lack of education). Even people paying a registration fee should be entitled to some cash back in lieu of their education, should the strike go ahead. They're being "registered" for nothing, if no classes go ahead, which they can do without the fee. The only people who aren't losing out are people who get a grant, and they're firmly in the minority.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable. If you ordered a meal in a restaurant and they decided due to a strike in the kitchen that they wouldn't give you your main course, but you still had to pay for it because you ordered it, you wouldn't be impressed, would you?

Blush_01

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the reasons behind the strike, and I support the staff in their efforts, even if I hope it gets resolved without any adverse effects to students. That's patently not the aim of the strike. But I have no qualms about demanding what I'm paying the university as a body for, or else expecting compensation.

Riamfada

I have just been reading about that car parking system . It seems that this strike is as much in the interest of the student as the employee of UC double-dogsh*t. Firstly let me say to anyone from UCD that is reading this is that charges of between 600-900 euro for the privalage of parking ones car is disgraceful. It will just push people out to the surrounding areas of the college .

It has convinced me, along with other aspects of Dr Brady's administration that the college couldnt give a damn about its staff or students . Should he wish to run the college as a business he should become aquainted with the first rule of business "look after your staff and customers" otherwise I can see this business running into the ground .

At this point I would deter any of my friends from applying to UCD. I think this strike will benifit both students and staff . While sacrificing a few lectures hopefully it will improve life for both students and staff alike.

ps* hang on there while i rumage around for my spare 700 euro for parking or I could just spend less time on campus but why should I when im already paying 4500 a year to attend.


Grimes is angry

breadmonkey

This parking thing makes me want to explode. Fúck them, shower of ba$tards.

panda100

How can any student expect to pay 600euro a year on parking..tis disgarce. And what about the poor folks living on campus. I really think they should put automatic gates instead of those barriers so that only UCD students can get on to campus. Some sort of swipe system cos its really not fair when your living in belgrove and have to drive all the way to clonskeagh to get into your room when the gates are shut.

Tayto2000

Lest we forget, the proposed strike is about abuse of short term contracts, not car parking. SIPTU _are_ fighting paid car parking (for staff anyway) but it doesn't have any relevance to the proposed industrial action. I often don't see eye to eye with SIPTU but I think they have a point in this case, especially in relation to the pensions.

That said.

"The main unions on campus have come up with figures for how much this will cost each staff/student annually. The lowest was €600 and the highest was €900."

Just, out of interest, how did the Unions arrive at these figures? All year paid parking is currently E50, were the rates declared at the meeting?

There was a good thread on the car parking issue a while back, can be found here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054899333&referrerid=&highlight=Car+Parking%22

Umaro

Every time I see the thread title I think of a Counter-strike map based around UCD...


...



I'll get me coat.

tintinr35

Grimes wrote:

why should I when im already paying 4500 a year to attend.


Grimes is angry

why so expensive for grimes???

Riamfada

grimes dosnt qualify for free fees because I went to griffith college for 2 years before UCD (which I also paid the same ammount for)

buttercup87

So does anyone actually know what the story is?! Is everything going ahead as normal on Monday??

Economaniac!

buttercup87 wrote:

So does anyone actually know what the story is?! Is everything going ahead as normal on Monday??

here here, anybody know if we should trek all the way into ucd just to find out the only service available during the strike will be the student union run bar? oh wait, nevermind, see you monday.

BKtje

friend told me it was alla bluff but i dunno. Will ask in the science meeting tomorrow.