Race case findings

June 30, 2006

Roger Brown claims (Letters, June 23) that in your report of a successful race discrimination case against Brunel University ("Brunel pays out to settle race row", June 16) Southampton Solent "was neither party to the tribunal proceedings referred to in the article, nor was it given the opportunity to submit evidence. There were no findings against this university."

In fact, a key point in the tribunal's findings was that of "some degree of co-operation" between Southampton and Brunel in an attempt to water down a reference by what was the Southampton Institute.

I know this to be true because I was the union official involved in the drawing up of the compromise agreement for Harinder Bahra.

The tribunal states: "There was no explanation forthcoming from anyone at Southampton Institute as to the remarkable fact that within a few weeks of the grounds of resistance having been presented to the tribunal... that attempts were made on behalf of Southampton Institute to water down (Bahra's reference). The tribunal did not accept there had been no discussions between senior people at the Southampton Institute and at Brunel University. Plainly there had been."

Perhaps Southampton Solent could publish all its information on the original claims and invite the University and College Union to debate the wider issues Brown's letter raises.

Roger Kline

University and College Union

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