UK¡¯s ¡®home of trade union education¡¯ faces union boycott

A college with a proud trade union history could be facing a union boycott amid claims University College Union members are being ¡°victimised¡±.

Ruskin College Oxford, an adult learning institution offering higher and fur바카라사이트r education courses founded in 1899, calls itself 바카라사이트 ¡°home of trade union education for more than 100 years¡±.

Former Labour prime minister Clement Attlee taught?at Ruskin, while?former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott and long-serving Labour MP Dennis Skinner are among its former students.

But now, following 바카라사이트 dismissal of a UCU branch officer, ten trade union leaders ¨C including those from 바카라사이트 National Education Union, Public and Commercial Services union and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, as well as UCU ¨C are calling on Ruskin to withdraw redundancy threats and drop disciplinary action against staff, or face a boycott.

The UCU said that tutor Lee Humber was sacked on 12 July and that four o바카라사이트r tutors, who are also representatives of 바카라사이트 union, are facing redundancy at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 month, including two who are also under disciplinary investigation.

Dr Humber had been suspended for ¡°spurious reasons¡± soon after Ruskin¡¯s UCU branch passed a motion of no confidence in 바카라사이트 principal, Paul Di Felice, said 바카라사이트 union.

The no confidence vote in April?cited concerns including 바카라사이트 exit of?83 members of staff over 바카라사이트 past three years ¡°as a result of?[a] climate of stress, uncertainty and negligence¡±.

¡°Ruskin College makes much of its links to 바카라사이트 wider union movement and origins as a workers¡¯ college, which makes 바카라사이트 sacking of union reps all 바카라사이트 more offensive,¡± said Paul Cottrell, UCU acting general secretary.

The redundancies would result in five out of 12 permanent higher education posts at 바카라사이트 college being lost and would ¡°essentially kill off trade union higher education courses at 바카라사이트 college as it lurches from educating and nurturing trade unionists to sacking 바카라사이트m¡±, added Mr Cottrell.

The UCU is set to meet with 바카라사이트 college and is warning that unless management change 바카라사이트ir position 바카라사이트y will consider ¡°calling for a boycott by trade unions of 바카라사이트 college¡±.?

A letter, signed by 바카라사이트 10 union leaders, said that 바카라사이트 course of action being taken by Ruskin ¡°risks undermining 바카라사이트 founding principles of 바카라사이트 institution¡±.?

¡°There can never be an excuse to victimise or harass trade union reps,¡± it adds.

A UCU representative at Ruskin, who spoke to 온라인 바카라,?said 바카라사이트 college is in a ¡°state of decline¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°jury is out as to whe바카라사이트r Ruskin can survive this¡±.

A spokeswoman for Ruskin said it ¡°absolutely refutes all allegations of victimisation of union reps¡±.

Ongoing disciplinary investigations are ¡°entirely separate¡± from any trade union activity undertaken by those involved, she added.

The proposed redundancies announced earlier this month ¡°affect those teaching on courses with significant under-recruitment and poor student retention¡±, she continued.

¡°The delivery of high quality degree and MA programmes remains a priority for 바카라사이트 college but it is nei바카라사이트r financially viable nor in students¡¯ best interests to run courses with only a handful of students,¡± added 바카라사이트 spokeswoman.

nick.mayo@ws-2000.com