Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Gagging Attempt on Julie Davies.
" Haringey council are trying to avoid the high court this week. They've offered a settlement agreement with a gagging clause #nothanks "
This type of gagging attempts should be opposed strongly, not just by Julie Davies and her legal team, but by all interested in open and transparent public services. Terms of a settlement, which I would suggest is the only way to conclude this episode, should be published in full without any subterfuge!
In the recent past, a number of "compromise agreements" have been concluded and several millions of pounds have been paid out. And there was the illegal dismissal of Sharon Shoesmith!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Yes exactly! Accepting a gagging order is a social crime.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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The "settlement" which "concludes this episode" should be the immediate and unconditional lifting of Julie Davies' suspension. Accompanied by a full apology to her and her union members.
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Permalink Reply by Seema Chandwani on
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Disgusting that they have found the money to cover up their HR Blunder and instruct a QC, but can't collect the same woman's food waste bin for 2 weeks!!
Good on Julie for telling where to go.
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Permalink Reply by Lenny B on
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An outrageous attack on a critic of party corruption and an effective trade union officer. Are we seeing a local fusion of party and state bureaucracies?
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I was in the High Court yesterday morning listening to the NUT's application on behalf of Julie Davies for an injunction lifting her purported suspension by Haringey. This wasn't granted.
More positively the judge set a date of 2/3 October for a fuller hearing. And crucially, the judge took the point that while Julie is suspended she can't properly carry out her trade union duties to represent members. So he directed the NUT and Haringey Council to reach an agreement which - in the meantime - would let Julie do her main union functions. The NUT's lawyers are discussing this with Haringey's lawyers. (Of course, the latter at pointless and wasteful expense to us as Haringey Council Tax payers.)
If the parties can't reach agreement the judge gave them leave to apply to him today at 3pm.
The National NUT is backing Julie and has pointed out that this case is an attack on the right of trade union members to choose who represents them.
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The NUT has published two letters from three headteachers explaining why they object to Julie Davies being the NUT representative. You can read them here (1) (2) . Maybe HoL members will be able to make more sense of them than I could.
It seems that some Haringey head teachers dislike having trade union reps "confronting" them. I find this very odd. I was the Chair of Governors of a school for many years and I also sat as a councillor on Disciplinary Appeal Panels. I'm quite clear that basic fairness requires independent, experienced, well informed trade union reps who can make the best case for their members and give them good advice.
For senior managers, including head teachers, and even chairs of governors, having your actions and statements challenged. probed and critiqued may sometimes be very uncomfortable. But it's actually a valuable part of our system.
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Another development. I'm told that Cllr Barbara Blake has now told at least one other councillor that she did not complain about Julie Davies' emails about the uncollected and stinking waste bins outside Julie's home and along the road in the hottest days of summer. (The emails are part of the cobbled together "case" against Julie Davies.)
As a councillor I sometimes received angry, scathing, and sometimes even rude emails from residents complaining about poor services - including occasionally mine. But it always seemed to me that this went with the job; the relevant words being "heat" and "kitchen".
But this leaves a mystery. If Barbara Blake did not complain, how and why is an email from Julie Davies to her now being used as a pretext for Julie's suspension and attempted sacking?
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You'd think the local MP would be putting his foot down on this crap considering his recently unveiled wider ambitions.
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Permalink Reply by Ian on
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it is interesting to read the letters and understand more the background but unfortunately there is little in the form of surprise to the behaviour of such institutions, corporate companies, or large entities. On the whole they may do the majority of their intended function but when things go wrong, gross mistakes are made etc they all tend to cover up, try to protect reputation at all cost. The truth, integrity, doing the right thing and doing no harm are words only in policy if they exist but never displayed by such entities when the mess hits the fan.
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I heard the BBC (British Bullshit Corporation) doing their best tabloid job on Julie and unions this morning on radio 4. Just what on earth has happened to them?
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The latest news on this dispute is excellent. As reported in the Support Group website here.
The meeting at ACAS agreed a way forward and strikes are suspended. From what I understand, the outcome is the common sense one - and which was always on the table. It includes accepting that independent trade unions elect their own reps. Who will sometimes be saying things which headteachers and school governing bodies find helpful; but sometimes will be harsh home truths they may not want to hear. In other words, the grown-up world.
It seems there's also an explicit agreement that this cuts both ways. So schools, headteachers and governing bodies have a mechanism to complain about the Union and have their concerns taken seriously as well. Again, this is a sensible way to tackle disagreements and disputes and reach compromise. Getting to 'Yes'.
The NUT have asked for a deputation to the full Council on Monday. However, the five-minutes+questions allowed may be too short to explain the issues to some of my former "colleagues". Especially a few of them who may be tempted to spend the time texting one another; popping out for a coffee or a smoke; or playing patience on their phones.
Meanwhile, the only people who've benefited from all this are the lawyers. Cllr Claire Kober spoke at a "Progress Party" gathering about the concerns of the "squeezed middle". Given her propensity to lose one court case after another, I suggested she meant the Middle Temple.
After sitting in the public seats at the last High Court hearing, Zena and I wandered round the beautiful courtyards, squares and churches of the Temple and Lincoln's Inn. There were tables laid out in the sunshine. Unlikely to have been a lawyers' food bank.
Clive Carter has done us all a service by publicising the cost of the Supreme Court case which found that Haringey's Council Tax consultation was flawed. To be fair, that was at least partly unavoidable. But throwing cash at lawyers to attack a trade union on flimsy pretexts was both stupid and entirely avoidable. The Council spent our money to shoot itself in both feet.
They spent yet more on an "independent" investigator Isobel Cattermole. How much? I made a Freedom of Information request, but they are refusing to tell me. And they say they don't know whether or not Ms Catermole was paid through a Personal Service Company. (Tax avoidance scheme.) Is secrecy a bug or a feature in Haringey Council? Answer: it's a wasting disease.
I wonder how many councillors will ponder this when they come to vote for the budget? Especially if and when the proposals include hitting Youth Services, Children's Centres, and Adult Social Care; or shoving up Parking or other charges; plus more outsourcing.
(Declaration of Interest: Julie and David Davies are friends of ours.)
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