TEACHERS at the Cork Regional Technical College will ballot on strike action within a week if the Minister for Education fails to grant institute status to the college. The decision was taken yesterday at aspecially convened meeting, at which industrial action was the only item on the agenda.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland, branch has given its full backing to the students, who claim that the decision last weekend to upgrade Waterford RTC to an Institute of Technology has left Cork RTC at a disadvantage.
The 4,000 full time and 6,000 part time students, who are boycotting lectures as part of their protest, say they will not sit the May and June examinations if by then the Minister has not relented.
The students fear their qualifications will be seen by employers, as of lesser merit than those of their counterparts in the newly established Waterford institute.
The president of the students union in the college, Mr Matty O'Callaghan, said last Monday the union would run candidates in the Cork North West and South West constituencies at the next general election.
At yesterday's TUI branch meeting, members denounced the Minister's decision to upgrade Waterford RTC while ignoring the long running campaign by the Cork college for similar status.
Mr Denis Polley, branch secretary, told The Irish Times the branch had been given a mandate to hold a strike ballot when deemed appropriate: "We are willing to give the Minister no more than a week."
The meeting also decided unanimously to donate £2,000 to the protesting RTC students to help them overcome hardship during their action, and called on the Minister to recognise that the Cork college has 13 degree courses besides 24 diploma and 20 certificate courses.
After a lengthy meeting yesterday, the board of governors of the college said students would take their protest to Dublin next Monday, after which college life would return to normal to allow further discussions to take place with the Department of Education.
College management will hold talks with officials of the Department in Dublin, today.