The settlement reached between sacked lecturer Pat Walsh and Accrington and Rossendale College raises serious questions.
Is it acceptable that a publicly-funded college is run by a principal who is not prepared to submit his actions to public scrutiny at an industrial tribunal?
Is it right and proper that the college - and presumably that means the public - pays out £27,000 in order to halt the tribunal?
Why has the college taken this course of action? One must conclude this was a damage limitation exercise and the tribunal would have found that Mr Walsh was victimised and unfairly dismissed, because of his trade union activities.
It is time the principal, and governors, accounted for their conduct in this matter.
If they are not prepared to, they should be removed from office with the same ruthlessness that was shown to Mr Walsh last Christmas.
Bob Hayes
Cross Barn Walk
Darwen
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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