De-recognition opposed by UCU lecturers’ union

OVER 100 members of the UCU university and college lecturers union at Nottingham Trent University took strike action last month over their employer’s decision to derecognise the union.

Despite claiming it will continue to deal with the union the university says it will only recognise the UCU if it complies with its new proposals and has even refused to abide by the nine-month notice period in the former recognition agreement.

The vote for industrial action was supported by a three-quarters majority, and the UCU has also collected a 12,000-strong petition from the academic community opposing the university’s actions.

Meanwhile, the Unite general union is battling derecognition on behalf of 400 members at Anchor Housing Services, a nationwide housing association. The employer announced it is ending the recognition agreement, in place since 2004, and forming a staff forum.

The union is challenging the decision at the Central Arbitration Committee, the statutory body overseeing union recognition.