From: Averil Cameron Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Date sent: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 12:41 Subject: Grievance
Dear Diamond,
Thank you for your letter delivered this morning. I have asked Tim Jenkinson if he will hear this grievance case and he will do it on Thursday this week (5th Feb) at 4 p.m. at Keble (room to be notified). You are entitled to bring a colleague or union representative with you. You are encouraged to put down in writing the grounds on which you are raising this grievance, and must do so before the end of your working day tomorrow (Wednesday Feb. 4). I will let you know where the meeting will take place as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Averil
From: Roger Boden Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Date sent: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 11:32 Subject: USS
Dear Diamond
I have as you requested now spoken to USS who have provided some helpful information about the early retirement process. I thought it might in turn be helpful to you if I set out my understanding of the position.
1. We are currently in the process of consulting on a proposal to restructure the accounts department. It was hoped that the process would be completed by a decision by Finance Committee this afternoon as to whether to proceed or not. If we were to proceed the posts of Accountant and Assistant Accountant would become redundant and a new post of Financial Controller created. In the course of our discussions I have stated that, in those circumstances, before advertising the post we would consider applications from internal candidates. You have stated that were the restructuring to proceed you would not wish to apply for the new post and have asked me to investigate terms for leaving the College's employ.
2. I have already provided you, at your request and on a without prejudice basis, with an outline of a possible redundancy package and you have now asked the College to give its consent to early retirement.
3. You have also lodged a formal complaint alleging that you are being considered for redundancy unfairly and being unfairly sacked, and that the basis for this is your ethnic origin and race.
4. The College will deal with your complaint using the procedures set out in the Staff Handbook, and pending resolution of the complaint it will postpone a consideration of the restructuring proposal by Finance Committee. Of course, until Finance Committee makes a decision on the restructuring we remain in the realm of hypothesis: only if it decided to proceed with the restructuring would the issue of redundancy or early retirement arise.
5. When you raised the matter last Friday I said that if the restructuring were to proceed then, without prejudice, the College would in principle be willing to consider early retirement as an alternative to redundancy. However given the many issues you have raised concerning the restructuring exercise you will understand that any settlement, whether involving redundancy or early retirement, would require a clean break and, of course, a compromise agreement. I hope this clarifies the position but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Yours
Roger
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Averil Cameron Date sent: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 12:16 Subject: Grievance
Dear Averil
Many thanks for your email offering to hear the grievance case. I was having difficulty in finding a colleague to accompany me at such a short notice. I also need a little more time to prepare my grounds for raising the grievance. However, I have found someone who is willing to accompany me at the hearing. He is available at the following times: Wednesday 11th February 13:30 - 15:30, Thursday 12th February 09:30 - 11:30, Friday 13th February 10:00 - 12:30. I would be grateful if you could arrange for the hearing of the grievance at one of the above times. I look forward to your reply.
Diamond
From: Averil Cameron Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Copies to: Tim Jenkinson, Roger Boden Date sent: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 18:24 Subject: Grievance
I am advised that the hearing must take place no later than Feb. 12, and since Tim Jenkinson will then be in the US but can do Feb. 11 we should reschedule it for then, after 2 p.m. May I request notification of who will accompany you? I will be in touch again with details of place and exact time.
Averil Cameron
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Averil Cameron Date sent: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 18:35 Subject: Grievance
Many thanks for your email. 11 February is just fine. My colleague's name is Mr Robertson. On Wednesday 11 February he is available only between 1.30 and 3.30 pm. So the start and finish of the hearing must be between these times.
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Roger Boden Date sent: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 10:44 Subject: USS
Dear Roger
I do not recall any reference to early retirement as an alternative to redundancy. My understanding was that I would be retiring under my own right with College's consent as it will not cost the College a penny for giving the consent.
Yours Diamond
From: Roger Boden Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Date sent: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 12:20 Subject: USS
Apologies if I have misunderstood your question. Are you saying you wish to take early retirement?
From: Averil Cameron Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Copies to: Tim Jenkinson, Roger Boden Date sent: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 16:32 Subject: Grievance
To reiterate: you have the right to be accompanied by a colleague, i.e. a Keble employee, or a trade union official. In the latter case we require evidence that Mr Robertson is a full-time official employed by a trade union or a lay trade union official, so long as in the latter case he has been reasonably certified in writing by his union as having experience of or as having received training in, acting as a worker's companion at disciplinary or grievance hearings. Such certification may take the form of a card or letter. Your right of representation does not include legal advisers or lawyers. I hope you can provide the necessary confirmation about Mr Robertson.
Yours,
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Averil Cameron Date sent: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 09:35 Subject: Grievance
I would be grateful if you would confirm that Mr Robertson can accompany me to the hearing on Wednesday. I can confirm that he is not a lawyer or a legal adviser. I just need a friend to take down notes for me. You may have realised that there is a typing error on my grievance note of 3 February. In the last paragraph the ninth word should read "favourable" and not "unfavourable". I attach the corrected note. I look forward to your reply.
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Roger Boden Date sent: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 09:54 Subject: USS
I was responding to your comments under 5 below. I have no wish at this stage to ask for an early retirement. I hope that is now clear.
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Averil Cameron Date sent: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 13:15 Subject: Grievance
Mr Robertson is a friend. He is not a Union representative as I do not belong to any union. I cannot find a Keble employee to accompany me because it could put them in a compromising position and possible conflict of interest. I therefore would like to bring a friend as I do need someone to accompany me. I hope you would view my request sympathetically.
Yours sincerely, Diamond
From: Averil Cameron Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Copies to: Tim Jenkinson, Roger Boden Date sent: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 10:19 Subject: Grievance
Your email came just as I was about to send you this one. I am sorry but the rules say that you can bring a colleague or a union representative (you do not need to be a union member to do this), and so I have to tell you that Mr Robertson cannot be permitted. I am also afraid that the timing cannot be put off again as you will have had your statutory one postponement by Wednesday 11 Feb. I hope you can find a colleague here to come with you.
From: Tim Jenkinson Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Date sent: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:06 Subject: Grievance
Please could you confirm that you have received Roger Boden's response? Also, I would appreciate it if you could let me know by 12 noon today when you are free tomorrow afternoon, as I have to plan my appointments for tomorrow.
Thanks, Tim
From: Diamond Versi Organization: Keble College To: Tim Jenkinson Date sent: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:29 Subject: confirmation
Dear Tim
A 44 page document from Roger was on my desk this morning. You will appreciate that I need a little more time to reflect on this. I shall not be able to fully respond in writing before Friday 27 February 2004.
Best wishes
From: Tim Jenkinson Organization: Keble College To: Diamond Versi Date sent: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 21:32 Subject: confirmation
I am afraid that I do not think it reasonable for you to ask for 10 days to respond to the document produced by Roger. The majority of the pages are copies of your appraisals, and the substance of Roger's response is only a few pages long. It is my duty to deal with this grievance without undue delay. I am prepared to delay the meeting until Monday 23 February, which gives you 5 days to prepare your response. I have booked the ARCO terrace room all afternoon and suggest we meet at 4pm. As before, you have the right to be accompanied to the meeting. It would be helpful to me if you were to provide any written response to Roger's document to me in good time before the meeting. You may recall that I also invited you at the hearing on 11 February, and subsequently in an email on 13 February, to submit any emails or other evidence that support your grievance, in particular on the matter of racial discrimination. Can I suggest you put all submission(s) in my pigeon hole in Keble by 9am on Monday 23 February?
Best wishes,
Tim