On Wednesday 24 March, University and College Union member lecturers in Further Education institutions went on strike.
They were right. They’d only received 3.8% since the 2013-14 year. That’s not in line- it’s out of line. And in real terms it’s a pay cut.
This had all been expressed earlier but sometimes it’s hard to listen to teachers. Lecturers used their loudest voice yesterday and their 70,000 students and everyone in Ireland heard them.
Lecturers will keep taking further action in the form of turning down overtime work and the essential ‘additional duties’ that keep Further Education running.
It may take more than a one-day strike and ‘working to contract’ to get Minister for the Economy Dianne Dodds and the employers back to the table. And People Before Profit support the lecturers in this and any further action they need to take for Further Education.
Lecturers have supported us and our families in extraordinary ways throughout this crisis -and long before.
We send full solidarity and say ‘Sinn Féin, DUP, Dianne Dodds, listen to your lecturers!’