BBC backs UCU on bullying

Interviews with UCU lecturers’ union members at Leeds Metropolitan University have revealed a disturbing culture of individual and institutional bullying.

An investigation by BBC news programme Look North came in the wake of long-standing claims by staff – furiously denied by the Vice Chancellor – that bullying is rife in the university. Since the union carried out its own survey in March, UCU regional official Adrian Jones has repeatedly asked the university to investigate the allegations.

Now the Health and Safety Executive is conducting a review of the university’s practices relating to bullying, and UCU members are to hold a ballot of no confidence in the Vice Chancellor.

• A number of unions used “Ban bullying at work” day on 7 November to insist that employers take action on the issue.

According to a survey by the Chartered Management Institute, one of the partners in the campaign to stamp out workplace bullying, two-thirds of managers think they lack the management skills to tackle bullying. Unrealistic targets, authoritarian management styles and a failure to address incidents are also identified by managers as causes of bullying.

For details of the campaign, visit www.banbullyingatwork.com