Faustina Starrett, executive member of the UCU union said the college's director, Seamus Murphy had this week sent a threatening email to staff telling them they had to meet their contractual obligations or face suspension without pay. She added that she believed this was a direct attempt to break the action.Ms Starrett said staff were frightened at the prospect of facing the summer recess without wages.

The 'Journal' has seen a copy of the letter in which lecturers have been summoned to meetings next week where they will be asked to hand over their class registers or face suspension.
Up until now staff have refused to take part in the online registering scheme and have been making manual registers which they have refused to hand over.

"If they force us to hand these over they're taking away our bargaining power," said Miss Starrett.

"We have met our contractural obligations with the exam boards and gradings and no students have been affected."

In the letter to staff college director Seamus Murphy alleges that funding has been lost to the college by the non-completion by lecturers of registers for courses. He added that formal action that may now be taken against staff who are in breach of their contract.

Mr. Murphy advised that class registers for the last two years must be handed over at meetings to be held next week.

"A refusal to supply the requested information will result in suspending lecturers indefinitely without pay," he said.

Yesterday a spokesperson from the UCU said the letter was a threatening response to the 'No' vote to reject management proposals that attached significant contractual changes to its support for pay parity with teachers.

"The industrial action to date has been targeted at management not students and staff have continued to work to Exam Board deadlines for completion of student grades and results," he added

"The letter threatens staff for non-compliance with management systems at a time when staff are working towards a successful conclusion to the academic year for the students under their tutelage.

"The bullying tone of this letter and its cruel promise to withhold pay, (that will impact in summer recess), coming up to the final week of term is an underhand attempt to avoid serious engagement with a workforce that has already proved its worth and earned its financial entitlement to pay parity."

A spokesperson from the North West Regional College say they had indicated to staff that they are not prepared to accept partial performance of duties.

They added that they had requested staff to provide some data which it requires as part of their contractual duties.

"It is the expectation of College management that staff will comply with this reasonable request," he added.