Strike action at College of North West London on Thursday

UCU members at the Willesden and Wembley campuses of the College of North West London are taking strike action on Thursday (23 February).

Staff will be on picket lines outside the main entrances on Denzil Road (Willesden campus) and Wembley Park Road (Wembley) from 9am in a row over the continued suspension of UCU branch secretary Indro Sen.

UCU members at the college overwhelmingly backed strike action with 95% voting for the strike in a recent ballot. Staff walked out last month in support of mathematics teacher Sen, who was suspended in October 2016 while representing a former colleague at an employment tribunal. There is also a public meeting in support of Sen at Willesden Library on Friday (24 February).

The college says that Sen did not have time off to attend the hearing and that representing his co-worker amounted to gross misconduct. UCU feels that the college is using this as an opportunity to sack Mr Sen for his trade union activities.

UCU regional official Una O'Brien said; 'Industrial action is always a last resort and we remain open to negotiations to try to resolve the dispute but, following the continued suspension of Indro Sen, members have been left with no option but to take strike action.'