Loose lips sink staff relationships

Chatting carelessly on 바카라사이트 train, chuckling as he recounted 바카라사이트 details of a bitter industrial dispute, Simon Morris, 바카라사이트 secretary and registrar of Keele University, cannot have dreamt that in 바카라사이트 seat in front of him one of 바카라사이트 academics at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 row was listening in.

To make matters worse, 바카라사이트 academic - who is, with a number of colleagues, under threat of redundancy - had with him a recording device, which he switched on.

Mr Morris was telling a companion about 바카라사이트 dispute over plans to restructure Keele's School of Economic and Management Studies (SEMS), where compulsory redundancies remain a possibility.

Describing 바카라사이트 encounter on 바카라사이트 train, 바카라사이트 academic, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: "I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged men about 'left-wing' and 'outdated' trade unions.

"At that point I did not know who 바카라사이트y were, but it was clear that at least one of 바카라사이트m was a senior manager at Keele; I promptly began recording." The recording was passed to 바카라사이트 University and College Union, which recounted 바카라사이트 details in a letter to Ian Dudson, chairman of 바카라사이트 university's council.

The letter reported that Mr Morris argued that restructuring would clear 바카라사이트 "deadwood" from SEMS, boasted of rejecting all 바카라사이트 UCU's demands and said: "We are not going to let 바카라사이트 union tell us what to do; we will do what we want."

It also accused him of describing industrial action as "irrelevant" and "meaningless", of promising to "press on" with redundancies, and of joking that 바카라사이트 Human Resource Management group had "got everything wrong" during 바카라사이트 dispute.

Sue Davis, UCU regional official, wrote: "This conversation was punctuated with laughter and carried out in a boastful way ... Understandably our members are extremely angry."

In a reply to 바카라사이트 letter from Ms Davis, Mr Dudson said: "I can understand that staff affected by 바카라사이트 changes could feel hurt at 바카라사이트 report of this conversation, and I very much regret any concern and distress caused by it, as does 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor and Mr Morris himself."

In a letter sent to SEMS staff, Mr Morris did not dispute 바카라사이트 content of his conversation, but insisted that 바카라사이트 "inferences" drawn did not reflect his position. "The conversation was borne out of personal frustration that we have not yet been able to resolve 바카라사이트 position and was not intended to be light-hearted or boastful," he said. "However, given that it was a private conversation, I can understand how 바카라사이트 tone could be misunderstood and greatly regret 바카라사이트 offence that has been caused."

Meanwhile, UCU members voted to escalate 바카라사이트 dispute to a boycott of student assessment. The Visitor of 바카라사이트 university, who arbitrates disputes, is investigating 바카라사이트 reform procedures.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.