Walkout Possible For University Employees

The University and College Union (UCU), which claims the majority of the institution's 1,800 employees are members, has been in stalled talks with managers since 2006 to implement a new pay scale and salary bands.
At the point the framework is finally adopted, lecturers and other academic staff are meant to receive settlements that reflect adjustments to their wages - largely positive - backdated to the start of negotiations.
But UCU branch secretary Peter McLoughlin said the university has now reneged on this agreement because it says it cannot afford the back pay.
He told the Observer: "Management are not saying we don't deserve it or that it wasn't part of the agreement - they are just saying there is no money.
"We don't know how much it will cost the university because they haven't sat down to calculate it. But they say there's a £7m black hole.
"They're being very stubborn. It's a management fault because they should have put this money aside. The agreement was drafted years ago and it was to be expected."
Mr McLoughlin said a principal lecturer whose pay boundary moved up would miss out to the tune of £800 a year.
He said: "We have made every effort to reach a negotiation. We have tried every possible avenue to compromise but management broke off negotiations in February.
"They kept trying to put things into the agreement that were outside its scope, like working conditions.
"We balloted for industrial action over the summer and we won the ballot for industrial action.
"What particularly aggrieved staff was that in April management came in with what they called a 'new offer' - a separate deal in which the employee would relinquish claim for back pay and be taken out of the collective and recognition agreement.
"A lot of staff are uncomfortable with this and would prefer to go back to the local agreement."
The results of the UCU ballot for industrial action remain valid until November 13.
"Staff are very angry. If negotiations break down this week, we have a mandate to ask our national officers to call for industrial action."
A university spokeswoman said: "We are currently engaged in discussions with the University and College Union, in pursuit of a fair and sustainable agreement.
"It would be inappropriate to comment further while those discussions are taking place."