Reinstate Vik Chechi


Oppose victimisation of trade union activist

Maggie Potts

Messages of support and complaints to management have flooded in following the shock announcement last week that Vik Chechi, the Unison branch secretary of Queen Mary University in east London, was suspended by his employer.

In the few months Vik has been Unison branch secretary, he and other Unison members have re-invigorated the union branch. Union membership has increased, members have turned to Vik for support and representation, and the branch is campaigning against cuts.

Over 100 staff are threatened with redundancy, including 26 in libraries and 43 in medicine and dentistry. The Unison branch has played a leading part in the anti-cuts campaign on campus, uniting students and staff.

Individual Unison members have been horrified at this attack, believing that this is an attempt to prevent the union from fighting effectively against the cuts. If management is successful it will leave staff and students open to bigger attacks in the future. The QM UCU (lecturers’ union) branch has pledged full support and many students have come forward to offer to help in any way they can.

The Unison branch committee is holding a meeting of all members to make sure there is maximum involvement of members in any campaign.