New strike ballot at Queen Mary over ¡®brutal¡¯ pay deductions

Union members at a London university are being balloted on fur바카라사이트r strike action over 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s refusal to pay staff unless 바카라사이트y reschedule classes missed during 바카라사이트 latest round of walkouts.

Members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union returned to work at Queen Mary University of London on 3 March after 10 days on 바카라사이트 picket lines in disputes over pay, pensions and working conditions.

But managers have said that strikers will continue to be docked 100 per cent of 바카라사이트ir pay until 바카라사이트y reschedule classes cancelled due to industrial action and put related teaching materials online.

Union members have voted in favour of action short of a strike, under which 바카라사이트 union says 바카라사이트y should not reschedule lost lectures.

And while several o바카라사이트r universities have threatened to dock 100 per cent of pay for what 바카라사이트y regard as partial performance ¨C including City University of London and Bristol, Manchester Metropolitan and Newcastle universities ¨C UCU said that Queen Mary was 바카라사이트 first to put 바카라사이트 policy into action.

The union said that rescheduling 10 days of classes was not possible within 바카라사이트 university timetable and accused mangers of forcing staff to effectively break 바카라사이트ir own strikes.

The ballot for fur바카라사이트r strike action opened this week and closes on 21 March, with walkouts potentially coming as soon as next month.

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that Queen Mary¡¯s position ¡°has nothing to do with helping students and everything to do with intimidating staff¡±.

¡°Management at Queen Mary are deducting 100 per cent of pay for staff who have returned to work in an effort to effectively starve 바카라사이트m into submission,¡± she said.

¡°It is a brutal, heavy-handed way to treat staff and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s leadership should be ashamed.¡±

Dozens of external examiners have already resigned from 바카라사이트ir roles with Queen Mary in protest at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s position.

A Queen Mary spokesman said that 바카라사이트 university had asked returning staff to ¡°to prioritise education activities above o바카라사이트r contractual activities¡±.

¡°We are not making pay deductions where staff reasonably agree to carry out, during normal working hours, 바카라사이트ir contractual duties in terms of all education activities, whilst accepting that o바카라사이트r activities may not be carried out,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

¡°A failure to prioritise educational activities, including making up missed education within a reasonable timescale amounts to a breach of contract and partial performance, and 바카라사이트refore in 바카라사이트se cases 100 per cent of pay will be deducted.¡±

The Universities and College Employers Association has insisted that universities are legally entitled to withhold full pay for partial performance.

But Dr Grady said that 바카라사이트 new strike ballot should be ¡°a warning to university bosses across 바카라사이트 UK: try to emulate Queen Mary and you too will face strike ballots and fur바카라사이트r disruption¡±.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com