2015 was when the College Closure Crisis was at its height. At this point, 11 ELT schools had closed in Dublin alone.
Two more schools were crumbling in April 2015. Linked by ownership, MEC and NCBA had issued IOUs instead of pay at the end of
April.Teachers stopped working and students protested in support. Students formed MEC Student Union and on Tuesday, 5th May 2015, they marched from the Oscar Wilde statue to the QQI headquarters on Denzille Lane, to the Garda National Immigration Bureau on the quays, and to the Dáil, winning national media attention for their demand that the Minister for Education #RegulateNow.
An organiser from Unite observed the march that day. Impressed, he joined us.
He helped us go on to build this Ireland-wide ELT branch and become a part of the Joint Labour Committee talks happening this year to finally regulate for better employment in our sector.
This was the day Unite united with us.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/education/language-school-protests-hundreds-non-eu-5641850
https://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0505/698740-language-schools-education/
https://www.thejournal.ie/english-language-college-closures-ireland-2085691-May2015/
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/international-students-hold-protest-in-dublin-city-centre-1.220051
Unite ELT 