SIPTU members have strongly criticised the procedures surrounding the proposed establishment of a taskforce to investigate gender inequality at NUI Galway, following cases of discrimination at the institution that have been highlighted by the Equality Tribunal. SIPTU Education Sector Organiser, Louise O'Reilly, said: “A meeting of the SIPTU Education Sector National Committee expressed serious concern about this proposed taskforce. In this the committee fully backed previous expressions of concern from the SIPTU NUI Galway Academic Committee about the establishment of this group.“Firstly, the proposed taskforce is being established without consultation with union members. Secondly, the management team that is forming this taskforce is the same one that presided over the incidents of discrimination highlighted by the Equality Tribunal.”She added: “The committee had been hopeful that the management of NUI Galway would proceed in an open and transparent manner in addressing the issue of gender discrimination. Instead, we have a flawed taskforce and no information as to how students and staff can have an input into its report. There is also no information on the qualifications of the members of this proposed taskforce.“Management has sought to exclude our members from meaningful input into the establishment of this taskforce by bypassing their representative structures. We are now calling on the management of NUI Galway to sit down with our members and agree the most effective way to deal with the deeply disturbing findings of the Equality Tribunal.”
SIPTU members criticise proposed NUI Galway taskforce into gender discrimination
