Lecturers at London Metropolitan University (London Met) have condemned the university's management for rejecting students' views on the running of their own students' union.
The lecturers' union, NATFHE, says attempts by the university to design the student union's constitution is typical of a bullying management culture. NATFHE blames the university's governors for awarding vice chancellor Brian Roper a 13% pay rise up to £214,000 a year, despite a record of conflict at the university. The pay award should be reversed, says NATFHE.
The university has produced a new constitution for the students' union, with implications for its autonomy. According to the National Union of Students: 'A new constitution was decided (two days ago) by a LondonMet committee which ignored almost everything the Students' Union had proposed to be included.'
London Met lecturers say this is reminiscent of an attempt by the university's senior managers to impose an unnegotiated contract on academic staff - a move which failed after a year-long, bitter dispute that resulted in strike action last year and the suspension of students' examination marks.
The London Met students' union believes the university's attitude may be because of the SU's support for lecturers during that dispute.
Greg Barnett NATFHE representative at London Met said:
" This is very, very familiar. It is just so typical of the control freakery of a management which seems incapable of reasonable negotiation. The students' union ought to have the right to question a document produced by the university and to have proper opportunities to consult on it and have its views taken seriously. The development of successful, independent students' unions is an important part of the government's citizenship agenda. These are the community, business and science leaders of the future."
Roger Kline, head of the universities department at NATFHE said:
" During the contract dispute, the university - disgracefully - closed down the students' union website when it expressed support for lecturers' demands for a negotiated contract. This new action is consistent with that contempt for the students. This is what you get when you reward a bullying culture. The governors must begin to take some responsibility - they could start by fining vice chancellor Brian Roper the 13% salary increase they awarded him for previous provocations."
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