The Union of Students in Ireland (USI), alongside trade union SIPTU, is calling on third-level institutes to agree to protect the rights of postgraduate students as workers.
The two bodies have launched a joint lobby document in order to push colleges and universities to ensure postgraduates are paid for their work.
Many postgraduates students are not recognised by higher education institutes as workers and lack wage stability, which has led to a low standard of living. The charter lays out a written agreement to protect postgraduates’ rights as workers as well as mandating fair pay.
In a press statement, Dave Curran, SIPTU assistant industrial organiser said: “While many postgraduates are not officially recognized in Ireland as employees, the issue of income and living standards is of great concern to the trade union movement and the student movement.”
The charter comes after a USI survey that found widespread issues for postgraduate students.
In a press statement, Sara Dowling, USI vice-president for postgraduate affairs, said postgraduate students “face a dangerous grey area when it comes to their representation and rights protections”.
“They are often without access to appropriate work supports, sufficient pay or proper recognition”, she said. “In Ireland we stress the crucial importance of Postgraduates within our professional and economical backdrop – yet continue to undermine and take advantage of them in a student capacity. This is simply unacceptable.”
USI President Lorna Fitzpatrick said: “The Trade Union Movement and Student Movement have come together to ignite a flame for postgraduate rights”.
Fitzpatrick added that “we are sick and tired of hearing the horror stories that come from postgraduates such as their conditions as workers and the lack of stability in their work”.
In Trinity, a campaign group has set up in recent weeks to lobby for improved conditions for PhD students working in the College.
At its first meeting, the group announced 18 demands – nine each for Trinity and the government – including a recognition of PhD students as workers and stipends that meet Dublin’s living wage.
Its first meeting saw PhD students from both the arts and sciences in attendance, with much of the meeting spent trying to decide where the campaign should go from here.
