DEL note claims unofficialengagement with UCU

North West Regional College appointed Leo Murphy (left) as its new CEO and Principal earlier this year. Chairperson of NWRC Gerard Finnegan is also pictured.

Back in February Dr Farry conceded that relations between the University and College Union (UCU) and management at the North West Regional College (NWRC) had once again broken down, a year after the critical McConnell report on industrial relations at the College was published.

And in June 2014, the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) head of corporate governance and accountability, Andy Cole, claimed the local UCU branch’s non-engagement with a new ‘change manager’ at the College was a block to good working relations.

But a briefing document obtained by the Sentinel and prepared for the Minister in advance of a visit to the Strand Road and Northland Road campus in March was quite sanguine about the situation and acknowledged that unofficial engagement between the UCU and the temporary Chair was taking place.

The document was sent to Dr Farry by Mr Cole in advance of a planned Ministerial visit on March 7, to meet members of the Governing Body, the management team, staff and students.

The document includes an Annex, which outlined for the Minister “current issues and lines to take.” The entire section has been redacted. However, it does include information for the Minister on “industrial relations” and amongst “several recent developments” providing “encouraging indications that further progress can be made,” is that unofficial talks were taking place.

The briefing note states: “There has been ongoing tentative unofficial engagement between the temporary Chair [Mr Finnegan] and UCU. There is nascent evidence of a willingness on the part of UCU to re-engage more fully, publicly stating its commitment to restore industrial relations in a bulletin issued to its membership on February 25, 2014; and, there has been an absence of negative coverage in the local press and adverse reaction from UCU following the most recent evidence session with the Committee for EMployment and Learning.” But briefing the Committee in June, Mr Cole said: “The college has managed to maintain momentum on the action plan in spite of the lack of engagement by UCU. UCU is not accountable to the Department for its actions.”