The Union of Students in Ireland has expressed concern that industrial action at the Dublin Institute of Technology could have severe repercussions for students who may need to repeat their exams this summer.
Lecturers at the DIT voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action last week after six lecturers, some of whom have had only temporary status for periods in excess of 20 years, were informed that they would not be made permanent. Under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, 130 lecturers' jobs were due to be converted from part-time to full-time posts.
The lecturers say they will continue to assist at exams, but will withhold the results from the college authorities.
The students say that this action could cost them vital time in making possible preparations to re-sit exams in August. This could result in them having to repeat a full year. In that event, students would stand to lose the free fees benefit as well as grant-aid for the repeat year.
Mr Darren McCallig, of USI, which represents DIT students, told The Irish Times yesterday that the dispute had the potential to be very serious.
He pointed out that many students travel abroad to earn money for the coming year after completing their exams in early June. The exam results are normally posted in July. However, if students need to repeat exams at the end of August or early September, they have to return home immediately to prepare for the repeats.
"If this dispute goes on", Mr McCallig said, "the students could lose a vital month, or more, to prepare for the repeats. If they then have to repeat the year, they are not entitled to free fees, while there is a very good chance that they will lose the grant under the community support framework. As it stands, the only way you could repeat with free fees is if you were seriously ill, with medical certification."
Mr Peter MacMenamin, of the Teachers' Union of Ireland, said it was not the intention of lecturers to cause distress to the students. All the lecturers had had to apply, and be interviewed, for the full-time posts, and while there were agreed difficulties with some posts, the six lecturers at the centre of the dispute had been denied their positions for "inexplicable" reasons.
"These people had their contracts renewed every year. I personally am not aware of any one of them having worked less than 10 years, while one had been working for 26 years. But now they are told they are not suitable for permanent positions", Mr McMenamin said.
"There were three options we could have chosen in this dispute: we could do nothing, which would not ease the very real anger of the teachers; we could stop work, which would lead to the cancellation of the exams altogether; or we could take this course, correcting the exams and holding the results. It is the least invidious position for the students."
A spokesman for the Department of Education said that the issue was essentially a matter for the DIT. "Obviously we would not want the students to suffer and hope that the time can be used effectively between now and the end of the exams to sort the problem out."
Earlier this week, Dr Brendan Goldsmith, the president of the DIT, told The Irish Times that the matter was not closed. He explained that the changeover from part-time to full-time status was a four-stage process and, although the six lecturers at the centre of the dispute had not been appointed after the first stage, there were still three stages to go.
