skip to main content

Dublin music college staff strike over proposed redundancy plans

The action is being taken by staff at BIMM music institute who are members of IFUT
The action is being taken by staff at BIMM music institute who are members of IFUT

Lecturers at a highly regarded Dublin music college have begun a series of strikes in protest at redundancies and in pursuit of better pay and job security.

The action is being taken by staff at BIMM music institute who are members of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) trade union.

The private college has a strong track record in developing talent for the music industry, counting members of bands Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital and singers such as Erica Cody among its graduates.

Last month it notified the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment of redundancy plans which put the jobs of 53 of its 135 employees "at risk".

The proposed restructuring will see the replacement of many existing lecturer roles with a smaller number of part-time permanent 'senior lecturer' positions while also introducing freelance ‘associate lecturer’ posts.

IFUT has said it is concerned that the proposed associate lecturer model removes job security, employment protections, and stable hours, leaving staff in a far more precarious position.

It has also said salaries for senior lecturers will be substantially lower than comparable positions in the sector.

"They are essentially halving the teaching staff and further slashing pay at a time when there should be pay increases," said Joe Wall, BIMM lecturer and IFUT representative.

"BIMM staff are paid a lot less than staff at other third level colleges and it is not acceptable. In this restructuring they are offering a substandard Senior Lecturer contract and they are making a lot of people redundant."

As well as lecturing at BIMM, Mr Wall is also a founding member of Irish rock band The Stunning.

"BIMM provides an important service. It’s where a lot of up and coming musicians go to learn their craft, are mentored by professionals, meet kindred spirits and progress as artists," he said.

"But teachers here are overburdened and underpaid and are struggling to make a living."


Read more: Music college BIMM and its link to TU Dublin


We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

IFUT has said that despite repeated calls for negotiation, BIMM management has refused to engage in meaningful discussions with IFUT or confirm participation in talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.

The college has said that it plans to offer 20 senior lecturer roles and 26 associate lecturer roles from a previous pool of 53 staff.

It said those taking up the new associate lecturer role would be self-employed, with "greater flexibility to work around existing industry commitments and reduced administrative burden, enabling them to focus solely on teaching".

It said the 20 part-time senior lecturer roles would be on full time equivalent salaries of between €36.5K-€45.5K a year. It said this amounted to 15 more roles in that pay band compared to currently.

"BIMM Music Institute Dublin is pleased to be making 46 offers to our lecturer community during its ongoing consultation process and we are encouraged by the positive response so far. We are now looking forward to finalising this process in the coming weeks," the college said in a statement.

Last week it told alumni and Dublin music industry representatives that the restructuring "is designed to specifically enhance our student experience".

Pickets are being placed on the college by staff who are striking today, tomorrow and on Saturday when the college plans to hold an open day for prospective students.

Further strike days are planned for next week. The union said further strike dates may be announced as necessary.

Students at the college have held a number of protests in recent weeks in support of their teachers.

Of the staff decision to strike, BIMM student Niall Dowling, who was involved in organising the student demonstrations, said: "It’s justified. We will be standing with them in solidarity."