University recruitment embargo will lead to 'crisis and complete chaos'

A PLANNED recruitment embargo in the country's third level colleges will restrict their autonomy which is enshrined in law, a union has claimed. Under a directive to universities and institutes of technology, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has instructed all colleges that academic vacancies can only be filled in exceptional circumstances.

Any recruitment can only be sanctioned with approval from the Department of Finance and Department of Education and even then, the filling of only one-in-three vacant academic posts will be approved.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) believes the HEA's employment control framework sent to colleges earlier this month contravenes the institutional autonomy of universities set out in law.

"The 1997 Universities Act gives each college freedom to spend the budget given to it by the HEA without outside interference in staffing or other matters but this is now being breached," said IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings.

"There will be years of crisis in every university and complete chaos in some departments if there are short-term illnesses or other absences," he said.

Mr Jennings said that at an academic department in one university staff numbers will fall from 12 to seven in September due to retirements and other factors.

"The maximum of the five vacancies they would be allowed to fill is two, meaning it will be down at least one-quarter of its staff and it will be impossible to carry on all programmes within that department in the next year," he said.

"All of this is happening at a time when there are increasing numbers of students, and the Government wants to double the number of PhD degrees awarded, which they now want us to help achieve with fewer academic staff," Mr Jennings said.

The pressure on third level colleges, which have already shed hundreds of non-permanent posts in the past six months, will increase arising from the recommendation of An Bord Snip Nua last week to cut almost 2,000 posts.

Mr Jennings called on the seven university presidents and all senior education managers to join IFUT and other worker bodies to defend the sector, and to fight the board's proposed axing of almost 5,000 posts in the education sector.