Coventry University Group staff stage protest over “sham union”

Staff part of the Coventry University Group staged a protest yesterday, which was also a graduation day, against the company’s use of a “sham union” which denies its staff official trade representation.

According to the Coventry University website , the Coventry University Group (CUG) is: “An umbrella term for Coventry University and all of the locations owned and governed by Coventry University.” It is thus a subsidiary company of the institution, a status which enables it to exploit a legal loophole and establish its own trade union, the Staff Consultative Group (SCG).

The CUG has signed a recognition agreement that the SCG will represent its staff, which denies them obtaining official University and College Union (UCU) representation.

In March figures obtained by Coventry UCU also revealed that staff at the CUG are paid less, have inferior pension schemes, and often work longer hours than Coventry University staff.

In March, the UCU warned that the Coventry University Group could become a “pariah institution” if it continues to deny staff official trade representation. They stated: “Coventry is exploiting a legal loophole to deny its staff their rights and that it will call for an academic boycott of the university if bosses do not stop their underhand tactics.”

Coventry is exploiting a legal loophole to deny its staff their rights

— University and College Union

They also stated that an “academic boycott” would be its “most serious act of censure” over the matter, which would see UCU members refuse to apply for jobs or attend conferences at the university, as well as refusing to serve as external examiners.

Around 150 people came out in support of yesterday’s protest, which took place outside the Graham Sutherland Building on Cox Street. Amongst the notable attendees were UCU vice-president Douglas Chalmers, Darrall Cozens from the Coventry Trade Union Council, and Justine Mercer from Warwick’s UCU.

A spokesperson for Coventry University has expressed disappointment over the protest, calling it “misguided and unnecessary.”

They stated: “We have always made clear that we’re open to continuing talks with UCU. We are disappointed therefore by UCU’s planned protest on Graduation Day. We believe the protest is misguided and unnecessary because we have agreed to meet with UCU to discuss their concerns in a positive and constructive manner on multiple occasions.”

“Instead, regrettably, we feel UCU has embarked on a negative and misleading public campaign and reneged on commitments made to us. We remain open to positive dialogue with UCU.”

In a post on their Facebook page last night, Coventry’s UCU stated: “Management need to grasp that we will continue our campaign against their blatant union busting and for the right of staff to be represented by UCU and not the sham company union that Coventry University management registered in secret. The support we have is growing!”