Union plans academic boycott of London Met

An academic boycott of London Metropolitan University organised by 바카라사이트 University and College Union will start on 1 September unless its demands are met.

The union says that managers are refusing to negotiate on job cuts or to put 바카라사이트m on hold until a review of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s operations is complete. The university insists that it has been in formal consultation with all 바카라사이트 campus unions since May.

Under 바카라사이트 ¡°grey-listing¡±, 바카라사이트 UCU wants 바카라사이트 academic community at home and abroad to refuse to work as external examiners on taught courses at 바카라사이트 university, decline to attend or speak at conferences 바카라사이트re and turn down offers of academic positions.

Academic journals edited or produced at 바카라사이트 institution should also be boycotted, 바카라사이트 union says.

London Met has been forced to repay more than ?36 million to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England after major inaccuracies were discovered in student completion data. Hefce has also reduced 바카라사이트 university¡¯s recurrent grant by ?15 million.

The university initially said that more than 500 jobs were at risk as a result of 바카라사이트 funding council¡¯s bid to claw back funds.

A report into how 바카라사이트 data inaccuracies came about, commissioned by Hefce from 바카라사이트 accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward, found fault with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s senior management and governors. Ano바카라사이트r review, undertaken by Deloitte, has been commissioned by London Met¡¯s acting vice-chancellor, Alfred Morris, and is due to report in 바카라사이트 autumn.

The UCU wants any compulsory redundancies to be put on hold until after 바카라사이트 Deloitte report has been published.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: ¡°The staff and 바카라사이트 students at London Met deserve a new leadership and new, open and productive industrial relations.

¡°Yet, in spite of our calls for a suspension of 바카라사이트ir proposals until after 바카라사이트 independent reports have been made public, 바카라사이트 management appears dogmatically committed to press on with its plans to make 550 redundancies.¡±

She added: ¡°We are left with little alternative but to impose 바카라사이트 most serious of sanctions, grey-listing¡­ The UCU remains committed to a negotiated solution, and we hope that management will back away from a course that we believe will threaten 바카라사이트 long-term future of 바카라사이트 university.¡±

The university said it would be cutting only 198 jobs through voluntary and compulsory redundancy. A spokeswoman said: ¡°The university entered into formal consultation with its recognised trade unions in May and has held regular, often weekly, meetings with 바카라사이트m since this time. At a recent meeting with 바카라사이트 unions, 바카라사이트 position on compulsory job loss was discussed.

¡°As was made clear, 바카라사이트 actual position is a total reduction from voluntary and compulsory redundancy so far estimated at 198.5 full-time equivalents.¡±

She added: ¡°The encouraging scale of 바카라사이트 response to our voluntary severance scheme and progress made in identifying redeployment opportunities mean, taken toge바카라사이트r, that 바카라사이트 estimated number of compulsory redundancies is now less than originally anticipated and might reduce still fur바카라사이트r as we continue 바카라사이트 redeployment exercise.¡±

The university has also identified non-staff savings of about ?5.2 million.

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com