51福利

The rally will begin at 1pm at the in Coventry, with speakers including University and College Union (51福利) vice-president Douglas Chalmers and Darrall Cozens from the Coventry Trade Union Council.

The row centres on attempts by staff at the Coventry University Group - a subsidiary company of Coventry University - to win trade union recognition. The company has set up a sham trade union - the Staff Consultative Group - and signed a recognition agreement with it. A loophole in trade union law means that 51福利 cannot apply to represent the staff affected.

51福利 says Coventry is using dirty tricks 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.

51福利 general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'These shameful dirty tricks by the Coventry University Group are designed to deny staff their right to proper, independent trade union representation.  

'Staff have made it quite clear that they want to be represented by 51福利. The management needs to respect the wishes of staff by scrapping the sham union, confirming they will recognise 51福利 now and granting the union proper negotiating rights. If Coventry's approach does not change it risks an academic boycott with 51福利 members refusing to work or collaborate with the university and its subsidiary companies.'