UP TO 50,000 third level students in colleges around the State could be affected by industrial action in the next academic year following a decision by the Teachers' Union of Ireland to ballot third level members on industrial action.
The TUI described itself as being in a state of war with the Department of Education and accused officials of acting in bad faith following talks on promotion issues at third level.
At the annual congress yesterday, delegates supported a motion from the executive condemning the Department of Education for failing to uphold ban agreement reached in relation to the filling of outstanding Lecturer 2 vacancies and to College Teacher promotions. Members in the RTCs and the Dublin Institute of Technology will now be balloted on industrial action.
The TUI withdrew from negotiations with the Department when Lecturer 2 vacancies in colleges were filled at Lecturer 1 level instead of through internal competition, as previously agreed. It was also angered by the failure to lift an embargo on the promotion of College Teachers.
Speaking on the motion, the TUI vice president, Ms Alice Prendergast, accused the Department of Education of acting in bad faith by reneging on agreements.
The USI president, Mr Colm Keaveney, said he hoped the Minister would accede to the TUI demands, but he stressed that students would support the teachers in their efforts and he encouraged the TUI leadership to incorporate any action with the national student stoppage, scheduled for early in the academic year.