A planned strike at London Metropolitan University was stopped late in September after a High Court injunction was placed on the lecturers’ union NATFHE.
The union is fighting the imposition of new contracts. Later this month members will discuss whether to hold a new ballot on industrial action.
The university management got the injunction they wanted by using the detail of the anti-union laws — they argued that the union had not fulfilled a number of technical requirements, such as specifying which site members worked at.
Paul Mackney, Natfhe general secretary, said: “The university's use of anti-trade union legislation to prevent our members from exercising their legitimate right to strike is deplorable, and will only increase the determination of staff to continue the campaign. The issue is whether there is management by sensible negotiation or management by diktat and confrontation, which some managers seem to have chosen.
“We shall now consider ways of escalating the campaign, including continuing and strengthening the existing academic boycott. We shall consider re-balloting all of our members and [will] find appropriate actions in order to bring the dispute to a successful conclusion.”
