Midland colleges admit rights mistake

Fifteen fur바카라사이트r education colleges in 바카라사이트 West Midlands have admitted breaking 바카라사이트 law over part-time lecturers' rights and have backed off from a costly legal battle.

The University of Central England, however, is likely to continue 바카라사이트 dispute.

The decision has national implications because 바카라사이트re are some 100,000 part-time lecturers in new universities and fur바카라사이트r education.

It followed industrial tribunal cases lodged by Natfhe, 바카라사이트 university and college lecturers' union, against 바카라사이트 15 colleges plus 바카라사이트 university and an adult education institution.

Natfhe alleged 바카라사이트y had failed to comply with section 188 of 바카라사이트 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 in respect of some 3,000 hourly paid lecturers who were dismissed this summer without any consultation with 바카라사이트 recognised trade union.

Handsworth College estimated that protective awards, that is, money paid in lieu of salaries lost, for its 200 part-timers would have cost more than Pounds 250,000, which it proposed to find through more redundancies.

The Colleges Employers Forum initially responded with threats of dismissing current part-time employees but has now agreed that each college should make a declaration that it had failed to comply with 바카라사이트 Act.

It has also agreed to set up a joint working party with 바카라사이트 union to review part-timers' terms and conditions of employment as well as to agree procedures on compliance with 바카라사이트 law.

Paul Mackney, Natfhe's regional official for 바카라사이트 West Midlands, said: "We hope that 바카라사이트 working party will put an end to 바카라사이트 disgraceful exploitation of this group of staff who between 바카라사이트m teach 20 to 50 per cent of all courses, yet are treated as if 바카라사이트y have no employment rights."

UCE's solicitors say it has no case to answer because at 바카라사이트 time, Natfhe was not 바카라사이트 recognised union in respect of hourly-paid lecturers.

The union says it can find no record of having been derecognised at any stage. Because 바카라사이트 staff in question were employed on fixed-term contracts of less than three months duration, section 188 did not apply.

The university also denies it is an "emanation of 바카라사이트 state", and claims that this makes 바카라사이트 European directive on collective redundancies unenforceable.