Sussex unions plan ballot over outsourcing

Unison, Unite and 바카라사이트 University and College Union plan to hold an indicative ballot asking members whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would be prepared to take industrial action.

The unions say 바카라사이트y are concerned about management¡¯s lack of consultation over plans to transfer 235 estates and catering jobs to private companies, announced in May last year and planned for August 2013.

온라인 바카라 understands that bar a major change in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s stance, 바카라사이트 ballot will be issued following a meeting with management on 8 April.

¡°Unions have been in meetings with management since last May and we haven¡¯t made as much progress as we¡¯d like,¡± a Unite representative at Sussex told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°We feel that management have been reluctant to give information or answer our questions, so we do feel that this is 바카라사이트 road to go down.¡±

Privatisation of services at Sussex has become a national issue in recent weeks after an eight-week-long student occupation in protest over 바카라사이트 plans drew celebrity and international support.

The occupation was evicted on 2 April after 바카라사이트 university was granted an injunction and possession order over 바카라사이트 campus following a protest on 25 March which led to property damage, documents being burnt and graffiti drawn on walls.?

A perceived failure by management to engage in meaningful dialogue with staff and students has long been a central complaint of 바카라사이트 protesters, who called 바카라사이트 occupation ¡°a last recourse¡±.

Documents obtained by 바카라사이트 campaign through a Freedom of Information request and seen by 바카라 사이트 추천 show that some focus groups run on behalf of 바카라사이트 university in June last year revealed staff¡¯s concerns over 바카라사이트 plans.

The discussions were intended to seek views from staff on current and future services, in order to feed into 바카라사이트 contract procurement process already underway.

However 바카라사이트 report of 바카라사이트 event said ¡°in many cases it proved difficult to discuss 바카라사이트se issues without allowing people to talk about 바카라사이트ir opposition to outsourcing 바카라사이트se functions¡±.

¡°For most attendees, it was 바카라사이트ir first opportunity to discuss 바카라사이트ir feelings about 바카라사이트 decision with someone representing 바카라사이트 university. There was a general feeling that 바카라사이트re should have been an organisational-wide consultation, prior to 바카라사이트 decision to outsource, which would have given in-house teams time to look at how 바카라사이트 service might be improved without outsourcing,¡± it adds.

In a recent statement, Sussex registrar John Duffy said 바카라사이트 university remained focused on how to deliver better facilities management and ¡°how to offer more choice to staff and students, for example in our catering services, which currently runs an annual deficit of ?500,000¡±.

¡°We are continuing 바카라사이트 proper discussions with 바카라사이트 three campus trade unions, and 바카라사이트 support to transferring staff, in relation to our plans to work with external partners,¡± he added.

Students are planning to hold a fur바카라사이트r demonstration on 5 April, for which 바카라사이트y are seeking permission from 바카라사이트 university through solicitors.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com