Staff at Tyndall National Institute in Cork to strike next month

Members of two trade unions at the Tyndall National Institute in Cork are to strike next month over claims that colleagues in University College Cork (UCC) are being paid more for doing similar work .

The picket by members of Siptu and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) will be the second strike in an ongoing dispute over pay inequality at the Tyndall, which is one of Europe’s leading research centres for information and communications technology.

In a statement to staff, UCC president Dr Michael Murphy and director of human resources Barry O’Brien said they had had been notified of industrial action by the unions on behalf of members working at the Tyndall Institute.

The notice indicates a plan to place pickets at Tyndall on May 1st, 6th and 7th, as well as at Tyndall and the UCC main campus on May 13th. The unions have indicated to the university that the action is in relation to a pay parity claim on behalf of staff in Tyndall.

The statement also outlines the university’s opposition to the strike, and says it will do “everything necessary” to avert the action.

“In all the circumstances the university cannot accept that there is any reasonable justification for this industrial action, most particularly during the examination season,” it says.

“The university recognises that this is an extremely stressful time for students and regrets this development at this particular time. The university is committed to doing everything necessary to ensure that all examinations proceed normally and remains committed to the agreed process.”