Lecturers in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) have announced a one-day strike for Tuesday November 19 as tensions rise ahead of the publication of a new strategic plan for the college.

It follows a 99pc vote in favour of industrial action by members of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI).

DkIT is finalising  a new strategic plan, to run from 2020 to 2022.

Concerns include criticism of a planned fifth academic “school” within the institute, which, the TUI claims, would bring  a ‘high cost/low quality’ model of education provision. DkIT’s existing four schools are: business/humanities, health/science, engineering and informatics/creative arts.

The union says the proposed schools would be in “breach of both national and local agreements” and TUI members “will not cooperate with any imposed change and especially one that would have the effect of breaching national agreements.”

The TUI has also raised the institute’s failure, to date, to move towards designation as a technological university – one of only two institutes that have not done so.

According to the union, “the DkIT President’s Office has gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent discussion of the technological university option in academic forums.”.

The TUI claims  management was “running the risk of leaving the institute isolated and vulnerable.  This would be to the detriment of the communities and the region that that DkIT serves.”

While strike notice has been served, TUI representatives in the college say they are “open to real and constructive engagement with management on these critical issues”.

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