Staff to strike again at Tyndall Institute over pay

STAFF AT UCC’S Tyndall Institute are set to picket their workplace again over pay issues.

A SIPTU spokesperson confirmed that the industrial action will take place on 19 and 26 February.

The staff members had placed a picket at the institute, which is part of University College Cork, on 21 January.

Workers claim there is pay inequity beween a large number of employees at the institute and their counterparts at the UCC  campus who are doing the same, or similar work. The difference in pay is ten or 20 per cent.

Researchers, engineers, administrators, technical staff and IT workers are all involved in the industrial action.

SIPTU said that the pickets will be placed at the institute from 7am to 6pm. They also said that the Irish Federation of University Teachers will be involved in the picket.

The last time the picket was held, the IFUT was involved but members did not place a picket. However, the institute did not open.

There have been no talks since the last picket. SIPTU and the Tyndall Institute have been to the Labour Relations Commission, and talks there concluded without agreement.

“We would be calling on the Department of Education and local officials from Tyndall and UCC to talk seriously to us about addressing the pay gap in a meaningful way,” said the SIPTU spokesperson.

“We remain available for talks.”

Read: Tyndall National Institute staff to picket over pay>

Read: Staff to picket UCC’s Tyndall Institute tomorrow over pay dispute>