2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will intervene to protect employment rights and jobs in an institution (details supplied), which provides courses for TU Dublin and refuses to engage with the WRC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7039/25]

Sentiment score: 0.21

Last week in the Dáil I raised the plight of teachers in the British and Irish Modern Music Institute, which provides degree courses for TUD in commercial modern music. At that point, 53 of them had been threatened with redundancy and were told they would have to reapply for their own jobs and would be facing big cuts in their pay and conditions. Their union and their strike action have now established some sort of deal which will be balloted on. However, it raises serious questions about how workers in higher education could be treated in this way.

Sentiment score: -0.22

That is very interesting. I was not aware the Minister of State was notified. Due to the three days of strike action and the representations of IFUT, the workers' union, it looks as if BIMM has made concessions which it is hoped are satisfactory to the workers. The context here is that 53 workers were told they were going to be made redundant but not because their jobs were gone. They were going to have to reapply for their own jobs but on lesser pay and conditions, with the creation of a new freelance grade to replace jobs which had a more formal arrangement. I am glad to say the workers have won but they should not have had to go out on strike for three days. It looks as if all compulsory redundancies are off the table now, there will be a system of career progression and some pay increases for workers. This was achieved through their own efforts. Under no circumstances should workers anywhere, but particularly where they are employed under the auspices of TUD, be made redundant and then asked to reapply for their own jobs.

Sentiment score: 0.19

Let us be clear, their strike action, the actions of their union and the fact the matter was raised in this House all put pressure on BIMM to come to the table. It had previously refused to go to the WRC. There is a serious issue here, especially as the workers were working under the auspices of TUD. Essentially, TUD had outsourced this degree to a private company. That contract will be up for renewal in a couple of years. I would ask the Department to talk to colleagues in other Departments, particularly the Department of higher education, and say that it should be a condition of tenders that those tendering would guarantee decent pay and conditions and not allow outsourcing to create yellow-pack grades of pay and conditions for people working in higher education. Otherwise, we will get a race to the bottom and a repeat of this kind of thing. Proactive action by the Government to prevent this happening in the future would be very useful.

Sentiment score: 0.10