‘Tech’ relationsreport due

The review was instigated by the North West Regional College (NWRC) Governing Body following two reports into redundancy and redeployment.

The Minister explained: “The terms of reference for this review were drawn up by the Department, following consultation with all interested parties. An independent consultant from the Labour Relations Agency’s (LRA) panel of arbitrators was then appointed to conduct the assignment.

“The review will be completed by the end of October. My Department will liaise with all those who have an operational interest in the review’s findings and will ensure that, where appropriate, its recommendations are fully implemented.”

Back in March the Sentinel reported on bad-tempered exchanges at Stormont when ‘Tech’ chiefs Seamus Murphy and Bertie Faulkner appeared before the Employment and Learning Committee to answer questions on a ‘festering’ redundancy dispute at NWRC.

Waterside MLA Pat Ramsey told colleagues how tearful staff at the Strand Road college had told him bosses had “wrecked their lives.”

But Mr Murphy told the Committee that a small group of active union members at NWRC were putting themselves before their students and that just one compulsory redundancy had resulted from a recent “staff adjustment” and that this could have been avoided if the worker concerned had accepted redeployment to a £30k-a-year management job.

NWRC Director Mr Murphy and the Chair of the NWRC Board of Governors Bertie Faulkner were summoned before the Committee to brief MLAs on the ongoing industrial dispute which has centred on 16 redundancies.