Strike at Epping Forest College in 'victimisation' row

Staff will be on picket lines from 8am outside the main entrance to the college on Borders Lane and have resolved to take further industrial action after the half term break if the problem is not resolved.

'It is regrettable that the college has refused to come to a fair settlement,'
Barry Lovejoy

Hugh Hobson, who taught construction at the college and was the college's UCU branch chair, was summarily dismissed a week before Christmas by then principal Peter Sadler. Following the dismissal, staff and parents organised a petition calling for Hobson to be re-instated and on 8 January UCU members voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action.

UCU head of further education, Barry Lovejoy, said: 'Hugh is a popular teacher and was treated very harshly. It is regrettable that, despite the best efforts of UCU, the college has refused to come to a fair settlement and we fear that the college's intransigence on this matter does not bode well for future industrial relations. UCU members regret having to take this action, particularly as we are keen to work with the new interim principal to move the college forward.'