University teachers vote to back pay deal

University teachers have voted in favour of accepting the proposed new national pay deal.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) said that its members had backed the new deal, which was negotiated in September, in a postal ballot. The executive of IFUT had recommended acceptance of the agreement.

However IFUT’s general secretary Mike Jennings said that “no one should interpret this decision as implying acceptance of the draconian education cuts contained in the recent Budget.”

“In fact, the opposite is the case. Once the pay deal is resolved, we will be able to concentrate on winning the battle for popular and political support to overturn these cuts which will have such a devastating impact on our higher education system”, he said.

Under the pay deal workers would receive increases of six per cent phased over 21 month. For those in the private sector a three-month pay pause would apply while for public sector employees this would run for 11 months.

A number of unions will this week announce the results of ballots on the proposed new pay deal.

The trade union position on the deal will be determined by a conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions next Monday.