Strike today at College of North West London

UCU members the Willesden and Wembley campuses of the College of North West London are taking strike action today. Staff walked out this morning and will disrupt an enrolment day for students on Saturday (1 July) in a row over the sacking of their colleague.

Staff have already walked out twice in support of mathematics teacher Indro Sen, who was suspended in October 2016 while representing a former colleague at an employment tribunal. 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.

The college appeared surprised last week that the union was employing strike action to cause disruption at the college. In the recent industrial action ballot, 83% of UCU members who voted backed strikes.

UCU regional official Una O'Brien said: 'UCU members at the College of North West London do not want to have to take more strike action, but they are clear that they will to defend their sacked colleague.

Responding to the college's comments about the union's action causing disruption, Una said: 'Effective strike action is supposed to cause disruption. I am a little surprised by the college's apparent failure to grasp this concept. To be honest, the college would be better off focusing its efforts on resolving the dispute, rather than sniping about the action union members feel they have been forced into.'