Irish alliance seeks better rights for postgrad researchers

Group says PhD candidates should earn “living wage” and demands equal fees for international students

A newly formed alliance of postgraduate researchers in Ireland is calling for PhD researchers and other postgraduates to be formally recognised as workers within the Irish higher education system.

The Irish Postgraduate Workers’ Alliance, created this year, has launched a 10-point charter, along with an associated petition that seeks improved pay and conditions for postgraduate researchers. The charter says PhD students and postgrads should be recognised as workers with employee status, contracts of employment, collective bargaining rights and public pension contributions.