QQA Bill is passed and mediator recommends establishment of Joint Labour Committee

July 12th: Unite, which represents English Language Teachers, today (Friday) welcomed the passage of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018, and the publication of the Mediator’s report on the Commercial English Language Education Sector.

The mediator, Mr Patrick King, had been appointed by Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor to prepare a report on the ELT sector following the snap closure of Grafton College last December.  His report recommends the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee leading to the issuing of an Employment Regulation Order to address the working conditions and pay of English Language Teachers.  As the union which substantially represents the workers concerned, Unite has welcomed the report and has written to the Minister seeking a clear timeline for the establishment of the JLC.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer Brendan Byrne said:

“Unite has long highlighted labour abuses in the Republic’s thriving English Language Teaching sector, and met with Minister Mitchell O’Connor as far back as 2017 to press for action.  It took the closure of Grafton College, leaving teachers and students high and dry, to finally hammer home the point that action was needed to protect both teachers and learners in this booming sector.

“Unite has engaged intensively with the mediator, Patrick King, since his appointment and we welcome his report and the recommendations, which the Minister has accepted.  Now we need to ensure that these recommendations are acted on as quickly as possible to ensure that the English Language Teaching sector is characterised not only by high-quality learning but also by high-quality employment standards.  I have written to Minister Mitchell O’Connor today seeking her proposed timeline for the establishment of the Joint Labour Committee.

“This win again illustrates the power of workers organising collectively in a union to advance their rights”, Brendan Byrne concluded.