University researchers protest for improved pay and worker status

PhD researchers from universities across the country attended protests in Dublin, Cork and Galway on Thursday as part of their ongoing campaign for better pay and acknowledgment they are workers rather than students

The Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO) argues the recommendations of a recent Government-backed review of the sector did not go far enough in its recommendations with just 30 per cent of researchers likely to benefit from the pay increases it proposed.

The organisation also contends its members, who teach in universities as well as carrying out research and other tasks, should be recognised as workers rather than students and have improved access to visas, a major concern for the significant proportion of those who have come from outside the EU or UK to pursue research here.

“What we have found is that over the last decade or two a growing number of responsibilities in the universities have fallen on our shoulders,” said PWO president, Conor Reddy.

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“The old image of the PhD being about study no longer applies, we are now workers in the universities. That’s recognised across Europe and we want something similar here.”

The organisation argues that even those who benefit from the proposed increase to €25,000 from an average of around €19,000 now, will still earn roughly €3,000 less than the Living Wage.

Many, its leadership say, are already struggling to make ends meet, particularly those who have come from abroad, sometimes with families, and have to pay for accommodation in major urban centres like Dublin.

“The truth is, I regret coming to Ireland to do my PhD,” Bana Abu Zuluf told the roughly 250 researchers who attended the demonstration outside the Dáil, “and I have spoken to so many other researchers who have come here who feel the same way. They recruit us as ‘talent’, then they exploit us but we are going to disrupt the university system until they give us what we deserve.”

Yvonne Kiely from DCU said researchers there were being left behind even as the institution unveiled ambitious plans for the future.

Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin, Mick Barry and Richard Boyd Barrett were among the politicians to express support for the researchers in speeches to the crowd.

The Independent National Review of State Supports was compiled by Dr Andrea Johnson and David Cagney after the receipt of 750 submissions and the holding of 35 stakeholder meetings. It was published during the summer.

The researchers acknowledge that there were some positive aspects to it but, says Mr Reddy, “we were disappointed that the deeper issues beyond pay weren’t adequately addressed”.

In a statement, accompanying the publication of the report, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, said it “marks an inflection point in our thinking on many critical issues for PhD researchers and how we can better support them to contribute to the realisation of Impact 2030′s vision”.

The PWO says it will ballot researchers over the coming weeks on further action to protest their treatment if their concerns are not addressed.