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University bosses face court for docking pay

Staff lose full day’s wage after two-hour strikes

LECTURERS’ union UCU threatened legal action against bully-boy universities yesterday which “illegally” stripped cash from striking members. 

The union named and shamed 26 institutions which deducted a full day’s wages from workers who took part in two-hour strikes.

And leader Sally Hunt told bosses to pay back the cash and apologise or face court action. 

In a letter sent to the university’s vice-chancellors, Ms Hunt said that docking a day’s pay was “unreasonable and disproportionate.”

UCU also made clear that withholding anything beyond two hours worth of pay is unlawful.

“If universities do not repay the money, or remove the threat to deduct it, we will seek redress through the courts on behalf of our members,” said Ms Hunt. 

An exam marking boycott was called off earlier this month as the pay dispute ended when UCU members accepted a 2 per cent pay offer from university bosses. 

Ms Hunt warned the dispute’s fallout could continue if bosses refuse to refund staff for the lost wages and apologise. 

She said: “To be treated so poorly by your employer leaves an incredibly bitter taste in the mouth.

“At the end of such a protracted, and at times bitter, dispute we would hope most universities would be keen to build bridges with their staff.”

Some of the 35 institutions that pulled the stunt during the strikes in January and February have already made a settlement with their staff. 

Leicester University is among the minority of universities still witholding the wages. 

One Leicester academic, who wanted to remain anonymous, said bosses claimed in a letter to UCU members that the deduction was “due to partial performance.”

But he told the Star: “I think it’s just theft.

“We worked fully the rest of the day, but the university said that was voluntary work essentially.

“The universities have done this because they could see these shorter strikes were a new weapon in our armoury.”

A Leicester University spokesman remained unapologetic yesterday, saying its action fell within its “well-established protocol for withholding pay.”

He said: “Staff that took part in strike action were in breach of their contracts of employment. 

“We do not accept that staff should pick and choose the duties which they are prepared to perform, in a way which is deliberately targeted to cause maximum harm to this institution and the education of our students, without recourse from their employer.”

Britain’s Institute of Employment Rights condemned the “rogue team of university employers” and congratulated the UCU for standing up to “abusive behaviour.”

Director Carolyn Jones said: “This is another abuse of employer power.

“Zero-hours contracts are portrayed as a “choice” made by workers which cannot be outlawed.

“Yet when workers democratically choose to withdraw their labour for a few hours they are financially punished beyond all proportion.”

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