While the university, f.k.a. NUI Galway (NUIG) and University College Galway (UCG), is no stranger to cases of gender discrimination, what makes the current situation so grave is the sheer lack of value and respect of the staff by the university’s higher management. This time around, the pay inequity goes beyond gender bias in individual promotions — it spans every permanent lecturer contract at the university.
Act One: The Amalgamation (Spring 2023)
Earlier this year, in line with other Irish universities, the University of Galway decided to merge its dual lecturer pay scales — ‘Above the Bar’ and ‘Below the Bar’ — into a unified ‘amalgamated’ scale. In the process, lecturer’s starting pay (compared to the lower salary tier) increased from ~€43000 to ~€60000, and the distinction of the ‘bar’ was eliminated.