tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post6115730334583146618..comments2024-03-20T08:37:50.011+00:00Comments on Bullying of Academics in Higher Education: 7th November 2007: Anti-bullying day at work, part 2: UCU has spoken...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-48860181718613415272008-02-05T23:32:00.000+00:002008-02-05T23:32:00.000+00:00It will be interesting to see what happens- I keep...It will be interesting to see what happens- I keep my fingers crossed for my friends at Leeds Met.<BR/>I worked there until the end of last year when I finally left for another post outside of HE -not what I really wanted to do but it was either that or my sanity...! I was bullied. Not physically - but the marginalisation and isolation from within my own Faculty led me to leave after 15 years. I guess I was just friends with the wrong people, didn't support the Leeds Rhinos and, shock horror, stuck up for a junior colleague who was being persecuted by someone in authority.<BR/>Leeds Met have some bloody good staff. They have also lost some bloody good staff. I just hope that they manage to pull their fingers out and sort out the bullies before they lose all the good ones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-52427005567730834972008-01-30T21:35:00.000+00:002008-01-30T21:35:00.000+00:00"The University, UCU and UNISON have agreed to wor..."The University, UCU and UNISON have agreed to work with the assistance<BR/>of ACAS to examine staff relations across the university and to develop<BR/>an improved mutual understanding of management and union aims and<BR/>concerns and make proposals to secure lasting improvements. <BR/>Simon Lee of Leeds Met, Malcolm Keight of UCU and Jon Richards from<BR/>UNISON will open the exercise while Steve Pashley of Leeds Met, Michael<BR/>MacNeil of UCU and Andy Freeman of UNISON will assist throughout the<BR/>process. No parties will be commenting to or in the media on the<BR/>progress of this work. All parties are grateful to ACAS and JNCHES for<BR/>supporting this joint initiative."<BR/><BR/>This has been emailed to all ucu members at Leeds met. Faced with a vote of no confidence and an impending report from the HSE Vice Cancellor Simon Lee has finally agreed to ACAS being brought in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-8120817792377639492007-12-15T14:17:00.000+00:002007-12-15T14:17:00.000+00:00Keep your eye on Leedsmet there should be a press ...Keep your eye on Leedsmet there should be a press release regarding the disputes there in the next few daysAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-91868035565213150662007-11-18T10:30:00.000+00:002007-11-18T10:30:00.000+00:00Julie O'Dell is a brave woman. I work there. I kno...Julie O'Dell is a brave woman. I work there. I know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-14744698015974793222007-11-08T07:02:00.000+00:002007-11-08T07:02:00.000+00:00Two members of staff left due to management conduc...Two members of staff left due to management conduct within the space of months from the same division at Glamorgan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-66812673273744823832007-11-07T17:50:00.000+00:002007-11-07T17:50:00.000+00:00"The behaviour of the AUT and their solicitors (Th..."The behaviour of the AUT and their solicitors (Thompsons of Edinburgh) in relation to my case was abominable. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I felt considerably less stressed once I had decided to represent myself than when I had been represented by the AUT's solicitors. The solicitor who initially handled my case failed to advise me that I could have filed my initial claim under the Public Interest Disclosures Act, 1998. This failure had significant ramifications for the way the case was subsequently brought. The same solicitor failed to pass information from ACAS (the Arbitration and Conciliation Advisory Service) to me or from me to ACAS, thus prejudicing the possibility of a settlement without going to an employment tribunal. He also repeatedly failed to reply to my queries. At one point (when the University submitted a large dossier of papers) the case seemed to become too much for him and he passed it on to a junior colleague. She then sent a report to the AUT which managed to get the reason for my resignation wrong and made so many other misrepresentations that I had to send a nine page list of corrections to the AUT's legal aid committee. It was to no avail. The AUT decided to go with the solicitors misrepresentations, conveniently allowing them to avoid funding a potentially lengthy hearing.<BR/><BR/>The main thing that I learned from my correspondence with AUT officials and their solicitors was that the union subscriptions I had paid since 1986 were a complete waste of money. I urge all AUT members to think very carefully about why they are subscribing to this union and to consider cancelling their membership. I will make the correspondence available to any AUT member who is interested to consult it in London.<BR/><BR/>Should either the AUT or Thompsons Solicitors wish to contest what is on this page, I am more than prepared to answer them. If necessary, correspondence can be put up here."<BR/><BR/>posting on this blog Nov 27th 2006<BR/><BR/>Yes there are a few positive accounts of experiences with UCU - but at the moment they are too few...<BR/><BR/>Aphra BehnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-73560942733865620812007-11-07T17:39:00.000+00:002007-11-07T17:39:00.000+00:00Just know that the courage it takes to expose and ...Just know that the courage it takes to expose and address workplace bullying is phenomenal...<BR/><BR/>...to remain in the building and face those who you believe to be the bullies every time you go to work...<BR/><BR/>...knowing that they just want you to leave...<BR/><BR/>...but you won't...<BR/><BR/>...my university have suggested that I seek counselling... or maybe take medication...<BR/><BR/>Aphra BehnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com