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Government’s ‘Yellow Pack’ approach to university research staff will lead to brain drain, not knowledge economy

Date Released: 22 Jan 2010

The Government has been accused of adopting a ‘Yellow Pack’ approach towards 2,000 highly qualified research staff at Irish universities who are expected to produce a ‘knowledge economy’ on the basis of short term contracts and low pay. SIPTU Education Branch Organiser Chris Rowland said today that, “The Irish Government policy of creating a ‘Knowledge Economy’ is seriously undermined by its ‘Yellow Pack’ attitude towards talented young researchers. They are expected to compete with the world’s best while denied any security of employment.

“This approach is not alone counter-productive but unsustainable if we are to attract and retain our best people. They are also affected by the severe pay cuts and pension levies inflicted on other public servants, although it is none of them will receive pensions based on their current contracts.” Most researchers on temporary contracts earn between €30,000 and €40,000, she added.

“As a result of its short sighted approach, the Government is in danger of creating a brain drain that will be hard to reverse. These researchers are, for the most part, on fixed term and/or contracts of indefinite duration that are dependent on external programmes subjected to regular reviews.

“Government policy is actually ensuring that fourth level research is not a career option for these talented young people and its short sightedness will have damaging long term consequences. Current policy appears to be based on the belief that world class research can be achieved without consideration for researchers as people who need reasonable working conditions and job security to perform at their best.

“Instead they are treated as a luxury that the state cannot really afford, while at the same time the taxpayer is supposed provide billions to bail out bank and pay their executives top dollar for anything but world class performances.”





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