Last updated 2 October 2008

1 October 2008: NewsUpdate No. 2 - RUTHERFORD BUILDING/RADIATION, NEW DEVELOPMENTS

No doubt you will have seen last week the UMUCU News Update No.1 on this issue. As planned, the union's national health and safety adviser, with UMUCU branch officers, attended a meeting with  University representatives last Friday. Whilst the University is committed to an inquiry into this whole matter, it is with considerable regret that the UCU does not believe - in light of Friday's meeting - that the University is fully and unreservedly committed to a joint approach. These are the opinions of national officials within the UCU, who have asked to be kept fully briefed on the issue. We will be registering this view formally with the University very shortly, and UCU is working vigorously to establish comprehensive and automatic provision of information to, and consultation with, the recognised trade unions with regard to this matter.

UCU fears have been confirmed today by the University's unilateral decision to appoint the chair of the inquiry - and to release this to the press this week without UCU's knowledge or agreement, in spite of our deep concerns expressed about this at last Friday's meeting. It is the process here that is critical. Similarly, we have insisted that the inquiry's terms of reference be negotiated with the recognised unions and that was agreed at last Friday's meeting - but we are yet to receive the University's draft of these. If it takes unilateral action on this as well, then UCU believes that the inquiry will be in difficulty from the outset.

Relevant links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/30/research.universityofmanchester
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=4001
http://drop.io/rutherfordbuilding/asset/complete-report-redacted-v6

24 September 2008: NewsUpdate No. 1 - RADIATION IN THE RUTHERFORD BUILDING

As many of our branch members will already be aware, there is currently extensive coverage in the media that raises the question of whether there are links between several tragic deaths from cancer of former employees and the use of the University's Rutherford Building in the past for activities connected with radiation. Following coverage earlier this month in The Guardian, the Manchester Evening News, regional TV news, last night's M.E.N., today's Independent and other papers are covering further developments.

Both branch officers and national UCU officials are fully engaged in doing everything we can to represent the interests of members and former members of our union over this matter. UCU's General Secretary, Sally Hunt, spoke to the press yesterday. The unions is also taking legal advice and making full use of its national health and safety officer. The latter, with your branch officers, will be attending a meeting with the University this Friday and we will be demanding as first steps a robust, urgent and independent inquiry that addresses both the questions that relate to the tragic deaths and to the broader issues; and that the University identifies exactly what measures it intends to take to identify further potentially affected individuals.

Media links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/09/universityofmanchester.radioactivity
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1066065_radiation_deaths_riddle
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1068365_more_deaths_linked_to_university
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/the-deadly-legacy-of-room-262-ndash-or-just-a-cancerous-coincidence-940318.html