GMIT staff boiling mad over Barry’s tea ban

Anger is brewing in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) over penny-pinching policies to ban cups of tea and coffee at meetings – unless visitors are present.

The new hospitality rules, which include rationing hot beverages, have caused a stir among staff since being introduced by college president Fergal Barry.

Among the cost-cutting measures that have left a sour taste include an outright ban on the provision of tea, coffee and food at internal meetings unless “external visitors” are present.

When visitors are present and hospitality is provided for staff, refreshments are still restricted to a ratio of two members of staff per one external visitor.

And even then limits apply: the rules state that, “when applying the two staff to one external visitor ratio a maximum of six staff applies.”

The controversial hospitality diktat states: “The provision of tea/coffee/food for internal meetings must not occur unless there are external visitors present at the meeting.”

It says: “Lunches may be offered to employees who have been identified by prior approval to act as hosts to guests of the institute”. In both instances a “two staff to one visitor” ratio applies.

The policy adds: “Non-alcoholic beverages may be offered to employees required to work through ‘breaks’ but must be restricted to where dispersal of participants during a break period is not desirable.”

The matter was discussed at a GMIT branch meeting of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland trade union yesterday where the new policy was described as “petty and ridiculous”.  When contacted, GMIT TUI branch secretary, Nigel Morgan, said the union had no official comment to make.

“When this directive arrived from the President we all thought April Fool’s Day had come early,” said a senior GMIT staff member, speaking on condition of anonymity.

She added: “Staff are incredulous at his decision to ban tea and coffee from all institute meetings unless there are visitors present and to then restrict it to two staff members per visitor. What are we to do from now on? Ask a visitor coming to the institute to bring a friend as otherwise only two of us will be able to share a pot of tea with them?

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune