Happy Christmas you're fired

joeisgone

Hi My name is Joe

For the past six months I've been working as a student helper in the library. Over the past couple of months we've been gradually having our hours reduced. Budget cuts and all that blah blah. Last week we were told we could do a maximum of 12 hours per week. Not a lot but times are hard so head down and get on with it. This week we've been informed that come december all 50+ student helpers were being laid off. Total staff in library is around 170 so in theory laying off 50(us) looks like a big effort to cut the budget but in reality we're just about 9% of the payroll.

Whatever about protecting the vulnerable the thing that annoys me the most is that even from an economic point of view this move is retarded. The student helpers are basically the engine oil of the library without us it all grinds to a halt. The alternatives that management will have after we're gone will be A. hire more assistant librarians at three times what they pay us or B. Just let the library go to poo in which case you might as well close the doors now. Fire the cheap,flexible labour, brilliant move :mad:

I'd like to make it very clear at this stage that this decision was not made by those in the library. The library staff and those in library HR fought hard for us but as usual the decision was made by a"focus group" from outside the library with no clue of how the library runs.

Its always the low paid non unionised who are targeted first and they think just because we're students we're going to lie down and take it. Well I'm bloody well not going to take it.

So if you don't want shorter library hours,longer waiting times for requests and book shelves that are in chaos you shouldn't take it either.

redroar1942

Fair play to you, you're right to stand up for yourself and your co workers.

Far too often college's just expect students to accept decisions , without consulting them or considering the consequences.

sm.org

Power to the people Joe.

CantGetNoSleep

170 people to run a library that has fairly sh1t opening hours is a bit of a joke if you ask me

redroar1942

Doesn't the study bit stay open till 2am?

bleg

meh

Fabio

Fair play to Joe, he's right.

I'm not working in there but know a girl who is and I convinced by their case.

The library as it stands isn't perfect and it'll be a messy shambles when the student helps are fecked out. The library is the lifeblood of the University acdemic-wise so we shouldn't be standing for this.

If you have a petition going around or something Joe I'll gladly sign it or whatever else ye have going.

So what's next, cutting lectures to 20 minutes and employing only Phd students on short term contracts so we don't have to pay professors and whatnot.

Obviously not, the professors have too much power in their hands but of some of those in higher management had their way strange things could happen (again).

Oh and remember the libray gets very busy after Xmas, just when the oil runs out.

Joe - get you and your colleagues to protest, write letters to the relevant people or whatever cos posting here is all well and good but you really need to target those who are carrying out this injustice. Well done man!

odin_ie

Three words Joe....Independent Workers Union....they have been used by another group of Student Staff in the past, and to a successful conclusion. If nothing else they may be able to advise you on a way you can fight this

ucc-helper

The president had to cut to save money. Not saying I agree with it. The president made new budget cuts which would leave the library 450,000 in the red. The thing they had to sack the 50 to cover the cost this year. I'm sure they will hire in student help next year but it won't be 50. You can blame the president all you like but he got given quite the hard job after the last presidents aggrieve approach in spending money to buying up land and investing in new projects left this one pretty much up sh*t creek without a paddle.

Remember they are cutting temp contract staff as well.

Its very sad all over in this place.

yerayeah

They should cut down on costs by turning down the heat. It makes me sleepy.

insinkerator

not wanting to detract from yer work or anything, but i have yet to see one of the student helpers, or any of the alledged 170 people working in that damn library. Oh well, im sure you will be sorely missed when ye are gone.

Fabio

I'm not a student-help but the books don't reshelve themselves...they do that.

joeisgone

odin_ie wrote: »

Three words Joe....Independent Workers Union....they have been used by another group of Student Staff in the past, and to a successful conclusion. If nothing else they may be able to advise you on a way you can fight this

Thanks for your post. Could you tell me by any chance which group of student staff were successful?

Our contracts are "temporary, part time" it would appear on the surface that we have f all rights.

joeisgone

Fabio wrote: »

Fair play to Joe, he's right.

I'm not working in there but know a girl who is and I convinced by their case.

The library as it stands isn't perfect and it'll be a messy shambles when the student helps are fecked out. The library is the lifeblood of the University acdemic-wise so we shouldn't be standing for this.

If you have a petition going around or something Joe I'll gladly sign it or whatever else ye have going.

So what's next, cutting lectures to 20 minutes and employing only Phd students on short term contracts so we don't have to pay professors and whatnot.

Obviously not, the professors have too much power in their hands but of some of those in higher management had their way strange things could happen (again).

Oh and remember the libray gets very busy after Xmas, just when the oil runs out.

Joe - get you and your colleagues to protest, write letters to the relevant people or whatever cos posting here is all well and good but you really need to target those who are carrying out this injustice. Well done man!

Thanks for that m8. not going to take it lying down by any stretch. Just trying to generate awareness first. You probably saw our bit in the Express this week. Been writing to El President, Twat O Keefe and Micheal Martin , thats just for starters.

joeisgone

micmclo wrote: »

Sorry about losing your job

Does it realy take 170 of you? Seems very high

there's an average footfall of 3600 off peak and 5800 feb-may daily in the library. There's also 1.2million books on shelves. Try do it with fewer numbers, you lot are messy pigs.

joeisgone

ucc-helper wrote: »

The president had to cut to save money. Not saying I agree with it. The president made new budget cuts which would leave the library 450,000 in the red. The thing they had to sack the 50 to cover the cost this year. I'm sure they will hire in student help next year but it won't be 50. You can blame the president all you like but he got given quite the hard job after the last presidents aggrieve approach in spending money to buying up land and investing in new projects left this one pretty much up sh*t creek without a paddle.

Remember they are cutting temp contract staff as well.

Its very sad all over in this place.

The president the president!!! What kind of party line nonsense is this . Are we forgeting this man is the best paid UP in Ireland:

http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/bestpaid-university-president-gets-836460000-
more-than-others-1428003.html

He's our own personal Biffo except that he gets paid more, he gets more then George Bush, Gordon Brown etc etc. On top of that he had the gall to ask for more four months ago.

Sorry but did you even read your post "450,000 in the red" means - 450,000 so in essence his cut backs are leaving us 450,000 worse off. I thought the idea was to save money.

Wrixon wasn't popular because he ran the Uni like a business, which needless to say upset a lot of the academics, despite the fact that he ran it fairly successfully. Now once again we have academics steering the ship and we're buggered straight away. There's never a plan to increase efficiency or weed out the dead weight. No its protect your mate and to hell with every one else.

Rant over.

I know a few of the temp and part time contracts staff getting the push and I feel worse for them as a lot of them have young families.

thebigcheese22

Lads you should do what us fighting against the reintroduction of fees did this week -
Occupy the Presidents office!
Its so swanky in there,he'l never cut back in his own office :mad:
Anyways they called the guards and we only barely didnt get arrested - 'Trespassing on private property' my ass!

bleg

joeisgone wrote: »

there's an average footfall of 3600 off peak and 5800 feb-may daily in the library. There's also 1.2million books on shelves. Try do it with fewer numbers, you lot are messy pigs.

insults, the best way to get people on your side.

joeisgone

bleg wrote: »

insults, the best way to get people on your side.

Do you want a kleenex or would you rather I called your mum to take you home?

KeyLimePie

bleg wrote: »

insults, the best way to get people on your side.

that was hardly an insult, a lighthearted comment yes but not an insult

KnifeWRENCH

I dread to think how bad the library will become when all student helpers are gone. The place is run fairly well, but it's nearly always packed. And coming up to February and March the place is chaotic, with exams looming and all. Getting rid of low-paid student helpers really doesn't seem like the sharpest move.
If the President wants to save money, then he should give himself a nice fat paycut. I'm still undecided about the introduction of fees, but that's another topic.

Have the SU said anything about this, btw?

bleg wrote: »

meh

bleg wrote: »

insults, the best way to get people on your side.

:rolleyes: If you have nothing to contribute, then don't bother posting.

RoosterIllusion

Sorry to hear that, work is important to a lot of students in college so losing your job is never a good thing.

UCC = a business

I found UCC to be utter cúnts every time I have had to deal with them.

Flamed Diving

Doesn't the SU have any power to step in?

Oh thats right, they don't. Which is why they are a waste of time and money. But hey, it looks good on the CV, eh?