St Patrick's dilemma

Staff at Ulster University are resisting a move to clawback a day's leave in return for St Patrick's Day. Prior to the 1984 merger, the New University of Ulster took St Patrick's Day as a holiday, while Ulster Polytechnic did not. Negotiations then resulted in the loss of St Patrick's Day, March 17, but annual closure for the week beginning on Easter Monday. UU's council has now decided that St Patrick's Day will be a university holiday. In return it wants the university to open on Friday of Easter week.