A PART-time lecturer involved in a test case against former employers Accrington and Rossendale College must endure another round in her legal fight.

The case - which could affect thousands of other further education lecturers - involves Debra Allonby, who was sacked from the college last summer and told to re-apply for her job through employment agency ELS.

But after a two-day preliminary hearing, an industrial tribunal in Manchester reserved, to a later date, a decision on legal aspects of the case.

At the hearing Ms Allonby claimed sex discrimination, equal pay and loss of benefits such as teachers' superannuation when her contract at Accrington and Rossendale College was not renewed and she had to be taken on by the agency.

NATFHE's Sue Berryman said: "If the tribunal backs the union's claim on comparisons and access to the pension scheme, NATFHE will have won back job rights for part-time lecturers that were removed when they were sacked in their thousands and told to re-apply for their old jobs through ELS.

"The tribunal's decisions will be of special importance to thousands of women college lecturers, who have lost out most in this attempt to erode rights for part-timers."

Earlier this month another lecturer, Pat Walsh, took Accrington and Rossendale College to an industrial tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal and victimisation due to trade union activities.

But the tribunal was halted when Mr Walsh accepted a £27,000 out-of-court settlement.

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