Support for UCL worker ¡®disciplined over trade union activities¡¯

A UCL employee who was disciplined for taking part in trade union activities, according to an employment tribunal, has said that his treatment has had a ¡°chilling effect¡± on industrial relations at 바카라사이트 university.

UCL has appealed against 바카라사이트 tribunal ruling in favour of Tony Brown, an IT systems administrator, with 바카라사이트 latest hearing set to take place next month.

A motion carried at last month¡¯s University and College Union congress called on 바카라사이트 national executive committee to declare 바카라사이트 matter a ¡°dispute of national significance¡±.

Meanwhile, a sent to UCL¡¯s president, Michael Arthur, calling on 바카라사이트 institution to drop 바카라사이트 ¡°senseless appeal process and respect trade union rights¡±, has attracted hundreds of signatures.

The dispute centres on UCL¡¯s decision to introduce moderation on an all-staff email distribution list in its information services division, which had been unmoderated for more than 14 years. The move meant that all messages had to be approved before being circulated.

When Mr Brown, 바카라사이트 UCU branch secretary at UCL, created a new email list, management told him to take it down but he refused.

A disciplinary hearing in March 2017 resulted in him receiving an oral warning, a sanction upheld at an appeal in June 바카라사이트 same year.

Mr Brown, who has worked at UCL since 2007, took 바카라사이트 university to 바카라사이트 employment tribunal, claiming that he had been unlawfully disciplined because he took part in trade union activities.

UCL argued that he had been given 바카라사이트 warning for ¡°wilfully disobeying¡± a reasonable management request.

The tribunal concluded that Mr Brown ¡°was undertaking trade union activities in setting up a replacement open email list and in refusing to take it down, in order to preserve 바카라사이트 free flow of communication on behalf of 바카라사이트 union, which had pertained for at least 바카라사이트 previous 14 years¡±.

On a balance of probabilities, 바카라사이트 main motive ¡°for changing to a moderated list to which only management could freely post, was to stem 바카라사이트 free ¡®venting¡¯ on disputed issues between management and unions¡±, 바카라사이트 tribunal ruled.

From 바카라사이트 union¡¯s point of view, 바카라사이트 moderation ¡°smacked of censorship and 바카라사이트 shutting down of any dissenting voices¡±, said 바카라사이트 judgment.

Mr Brown could be due compensation but 바카라사이트 UCL appeal has put any remedy on hold.

¡°Clearly it¡¯s an unpleasant situation to find yourself in for a long period of time,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°It is clear victimisation¡­it¡¯s had a chilling effect, I think it would be fair to say, on industrial relations at UCL; it¡¯s made everything we do a lot harder.

¡°The agenda has always been about controlling communication in 바카라사이트 organisation and ensuring that varying layers of managers in UCL have complete control of 바카라사이트 airwaves.¡±

The dispute came against 바카라사이트 backdrop of staff unrest at UCL over 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ?483 million?plan?to build a new campus in east London.

A spokesman for UCL said that 바카라사이트 university would not be commenting because of 바카라사이트 appeal but was ¡°committed to engaging in constructive discussions to find a solution¡±.

nick.mayo@ws-2000.com