As voting begins today in the impeachment referendum, the three sabbatical officers of University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU) who took annual leave to campaign for the impeachment of their president, Katie Ascough, have had to return to work this morning after a decision by the union’s judicial authority denied them leave.
The Independent Appeals and Disciplinary Board (IADB) is the union’s “final tribunal of appeal within the Union and the ultimate judicial authority of the Union”, according to the UCDSU constitution. The board overturned UCDSU Executive Council’s vote to allow Campaigns and Communications Officer Barry Murphy, Graduate Officer Niall Torris and Education Officer Robert Sweeney to take annual leave for the next three days as the impeachment referendum draws to an end.
In an emergency meeting of the union’s executive yesterday evening, Murphy said that they should be “given the same opportunity to campaign and take leave with the same notice being given” as Ascough has and appealed to the executive to vote to support their appeal to the IADB, which was passed unanimously: “We have lodged an appeal to IADB in relation to the returning officer’s decision to deny the annual leave.”
Murphy added that “both sides in our minds should be treated equally in this regard”.
He asked that the executive vote to support their application for unpaid leave, should their annual leave not be approved. This received unanimous support from the executive.
According to a report by the University Observer, a complaint was lodged to the union’s Returning Officer yesterday, citing a section of the union’s constitution on taking annual leave. In order to take annual leave, they must have approval from the president of UCDSU at least one week in advance, and, in the case of the president, “approval must be sought from the executive”.
Murphy claimed in the emergency executive meeting last night that Ascough applied a day before taking annual leave on October 3rd. The IADB explained in an email seen by the University Observer that she did not take the annual leave until October 17th, when the referendum was announced.
Additionally, the IADB explained that UCDSU constitution does not treat paid and unpaid leave differently, therefore one week’s notice for unpaid leave is still needed. It also informed officers that if they took sick leave, they would not be allowed on campus or permitted to campaign for Ascough’s impeachment.
In a statement on Facebook, Torris apologised for himself and Murphy that they could no longer campaign for Ascough’s impeachment, explaining that the IADB had overruled the executive council’s decision. He stressed that his and Murphy’s opinion remains the same and implored students to vote “yes” in the referendum today and tomorrow.
