University dispute is over

A Long-running dispute between lecturers’ union UCU and London Metropolitan University has ended with an agreement on union recognition and redundancy talks.

Before UCU was formed last year from a merger of the NATFHE and AUT unions, the university had recognised NATFHE. But last autumn, local UCU officers were told that they would have to apply again for recognition.

At the same time, university managers were planning a programme of 60 redundancies, some of which were to be compulsory.

When the university confirmed in May that UCU was “not presently recognised–, the union declared that it was in dispute and began to prepare for an industrial action ballot.

But a breakthrough was reached at a July meeting chaired by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. Both sides endorsed “a set of principles for future joint working–, based on formal recognition and facilities agreements, and agreed a framework for collective bargaining.

Management and union reps also agreed to hold talks on the proposed redundancies, with a view to reaching agreement by the end of this month.