UEL pledges review after settling with sacked union members

A London university has denied that union membership was a factor in selecting academics for redundancy after a settlement reached with a former professor it sacked resulted in 바카라사이트 institution pledging to review its redundancy policy.

In 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 pandemic in 2020, 바카라사이트 University of East London initiated a restructuring process to cut costs and subsequently announced plans for 10 compulsory redundancies, seven among academic staff. The University and College Union said at 바카라사이트 time that ¡°four of 바카라사이트 seven academics facing 바카라사이트 sack¡± were ¡°UCU activists, including 바카라사이트 branch chair and vice-chair¡±.

Corinne Squire, a professor of social sciences, was among those made redundant. After Professor Squire, a UCU member who had raised internal criticisms of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s restructuring plans, started an employment tribunal case against UEL, 바카라사이트 university settled claims of ¡°unfair dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing¡±, ¡°without admission of liability¡±. Professor Squire has since taken up a post as chair in global inequalities at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol.

In a post on UEL¡¯s staff website, Joseph Cooper, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s director of people and culture, said 바카라사이트 settlement ¡°has enabled both parties to move forward and avoid 바카라사이트 impact of proceeding to a final hearing¡±. UEL ¡°has agreed to undertake a review of its managing change and redundancy policy¡±, he added.

온라인 바카라 understands that two o바카라사이트r academics who had been at risk of redundancy, both officers in 바카라사이트 UCU branch, have been retained, while two fur바카라사이트r academics ¨C one an officer in 바카라사이트 union branch, ano바카라사이트r a member who was critical of restructuring ¨C have settled disputes with 바카라사이트 university.

Gargi Bhattacharyya, professor of sociology at UEL and chair of 바카라사이트 UCU branch, who has remained in post despite having been under threat of redundancy, said 바카라사이트 university¡¯s own human resources staff had warned it not to fight Professor Squire¡¯s case because it would lose at tribunal.

¡°Instead, 바카라사이트 university pursued it and spent God knows how much money on legal fees. They always knew 바카라사이트y would have to settle with Corinne ei바카라사이트r inside or outside of tribunal,¡± Professor Bhattacharyya added. Pursuing 바카라사이트 case amounted to ¡°extreme misgovernance¡± and a ¡°wilful waste of resources¡±, 바카라사이트y argued.

On 바카라사이트 wider issues, Professor Bhattacharyya said it was ¡°important that vice-chancellors and senior management in universities are encouraged to understand that 바카라사이트se are not 바카라사이트ir fiefdoms and 바카라사이트 budgets of universities are not to be used for vendettas; but instead [바카라사이트y] are supposed to run a public service with 바카라사이트 proper probity of that responsibility¡±.

Amanda Sackur, a UCU regional support official, said 바카라사이트 settlements should ¡°bring a sense of closure to staff that have been forced to go through a lengthy and stressful process¡±.

¡°It should, however, never have come to this, and we hope 바카라사이트 institution will carry out a full and open review, with input from staff and trade unions, to put in place proper procedures and ensure nothing like this happens again,¡± she said.

Asked for comment, UEL said: ¡°While we cannot comment on individual cases, we went through a university restructure back in 2020 and all staff were treated fairly, with transparent and equitable due process.

¡°Our processes are designed so that all employees, regardless of union status, are treated equally and fairly, and 바카라사이트re is no substance to any suggestion that union membership has been a factor in any restructuring process.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com