Minister Lawless must intervene to find fair resolution that stops uberisation of jobs at BIMM Institute – Donna McGettigan TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Higher and Further Education, Donna McGettigan TD, has called on Minister James Lawless to intervene in the worsening dispute at BIMM Music Institute in Dublin.

She said the Minister must ensure that BIMM enters negotiations with the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), either directly or under the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to find a fair resolution that projects jobs, stops uberisation of lecturer roles.

Deputy McGettigan added that BIMM’s treatment of staff is unacceptable, with attempts to force lecturers into casualised contracts.

Teachta McGettigan said:

“Management at BIMM Institute Dublin are proceeding with mass redundancies, downgrading roles, and pushing staff into insecure, casualised contracts.

“BIMM’s actions represent a blatant uberisation of academic roles, undermining job security and devaluing higher education. Their treatment of staff is unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to stand.

“Despite the scale of these cuts, BIMM has refused to engage in meaningful negotiations with IFUT. These cuts are not just job losses – they threaten the quality of music education in Ireland.

“I am therefore calling on the newly-appointed Minister for Higher Education, James Lawless, to intervene in the worsening industrial dispute at BIMM to ensure that management immediately enter negotiations with IFUT, either directly or under the WRC, to find a fair resolution that projects jobs, stops uberisation of lecturers.”