PWO to March on Dáil for PhD Rights

Ailbhe Noonan Editor

The Postgraduate Workers Organisation (PWO) has announced that they will be marching to the Dáil to demand better working conditions and the rights described in the Fair Postgraduate Research Agreement (FRA).

The protest follows a number of actions taken by the PhDs’ Collective Action Union (PCAU), now merged with the Postgraduate Workers Alliance of Ireland (PGWA) to become the PWO, between September and December of last year. The group previously staged a protest in September calling for a minimum liveable stipend of €28k.

The group will be demanding “a full and immediate implementation” of the FRA, whose core demands stipulate the right to a living wage of €28k, recognition of employee status under the law and equity for researchers, especially with regard to non-EU researchers.

In a press statement, the PWO stated that “after 6 months of no meaningful reform and a three-month delay in Harris’s promised PhD review, it is the opin -

Olivia Orr Elected Ents Officer

Ailbhe Noonan Editor

Olivia Orr has been elected Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Ents Officer on the second count for the 2023/24 academic year, beating out fellow candidates Nadia and Sam Kelly. Orr received some 1,004 votes on the second count

Clara Roche Elected Editor of The University Times

Gina

Bagnulo

Senior Editor

ion of the PWO that Minister Harris and the HEA have no sincere intent to meaningfully change the hardships forced upon postgraduate researchers (PGRs)”.

“It is in the opinion of the PWO that the government is abjectly taking advantage of all PGRs in Ireland, where even the highest-paid almost always earn 22 per cent under minimum wage for full- out of a possible 1,737, amounting to a total of 58 per cent. Nadia received 489 votes on the first count and a total of 608 votes overall, with a total of 35 per cent of the vote. Kelly received 385 votes and was eliminated after the first count with 22 per cent of the votes. Some 56 students voted to re-open nominations.

Speaking on her election, Orr said: “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me, it was so close. A big thank you to Alex and Ruth [Orr’s campaign managers], you guys have been amazing”.

Orr centred her campaign around a desire to make ents safer and more accessible to time research, with no parental leave, sick leave, or other employees rights”, they continued“PGRs, who form the backbone of the Irish higher education system by serving as TAs, demonstrators, markers, invigilators, and tutors, are being forced out of Ireland because of these abusive conditions.”

“Without immediate change, all of higher education in everyone. She was also the only candidate in the race to place an emphasis on having Trinity Ball on campus next year. A veteran of various ents committees having served as this year’s treasurer of the ents committee, Orr made it clear from the start that her campaign would draw on both her experience and her knowledge of running events. One of the core tenets of her campaign was opening a submission form through which students can contribute event ideas. “I want to hear directly from you with a submission form that all students can submit to”, she said.

Ireland will face a crisis-level shortage of workers at research, teaching, marking, and invigilation levels”, they finished. In the same press release, Rory Burke, a member of the University College Dublin (UCD) branch of the PWO, said: “We are demonstrating here today because years of neglect and exploitation of postgraduate workers has left us as individuals, and the entire higher edu - cation sector on the brink of collapse”.

He added: “PhD stipends have seen virtually no increase in over a decade, while the cost of living in Ireland has increased relentlessly. In addition, because we are not classed as workers, we have been left behind by most of the tax based cost of living reliefs offered in the last year”.

“On top of this, our non-EU colleagues are subjected to numerous additional costs to maintain their visa status, as well as extortionate university fees. We believe the only acceptable outcome from this government review is for PhD researchers to be granted a living wage and full workers status, and we are here today on behalf of all of our PGR colleagues to demand that the necessary changes are implemented as soon as possible.”

Matt Murtagh, former Data Officer of the PCAU and current member of PWO, added:

“PhD researchers are the most fundamental and yet most neglected workers in the Irish University – we write papers, teach students, supervise labs, invigilate exams and mark assignments, all for salaries below the national minimum wage, a measure designed to keep people out of poverty.

“With this demonstration we say to the department of further and higher education that we cannot tolerate this position any longer, and demand fair wages, maternity leave, sick leave and PRSI as a minimum standard for PhD researchers.”

Sole candidate Clara Roche has been elected Editor of the University Times on the first count for the 2023/24 academic year.

Roche received some 1,229 votes out of a possible 1,499, amounting to 82 per cent overall. Some 169 students voting to re-open nominations (RON).

Speaking after the election Roche said: “Thank you so much to all of my campaign team, especially Michael, Saoirse, Matthew and Hosanna”.

“I’m so excited to get back into UT next year”, she finished.

Right: Clara Roche speaking at the Dining Hall Hustings at the opening of campaigning. The Dining Hall Hustings marks the start of the two-week long campaign period and is the first opportunity candidates get to introduce themselves and their campaign. This year’s Dining Hall Hustings took a different approach to usual in that canddiates were not asked questions, instead waiting for the Council and Equality Hustings the next day.