Tributes pour in for Indro Sen - great CNWL lecturer and trade unionist

Former secondary maths teacher, primary school governor,  College of North West London lecturer,  and most importantly trade unionist, Indro Sen has died shortly before his 68th birthday.

In 2016-17 Indro was involved in a dispute at CNWL over his allegations of corruption in an apprenticeship scheme and I worked closely with him on publicising the issue here on Wembley Matters. (Links below) He was suspended from his job allegedly because of his support at an emeployment  tribunal for a sacked colleague and his opposition to the CNWL's merger with Westminster College.

At the time Peter Murry, Trade Union Liaison officer for the London Federation of Green Parties and for Brent Green Party  supported Sen and said,   'Both of these are actions are entirely proper for a University and College Union Branch Secretary to carry out. If Indro Sen’s suspension is a result of his performing the legitimate duties of a UCU Officer, then he himself seems to be threatened with unfair treatment and victimisation.'

His son Shenin said on Twitter:

On Wednesday we lost my father Indro Sen. Being unaware of his underlying health issues, this has been a complete shock for me & my family, which is where my full focus is right now.

His whole life was dedicated to helping others, I couldn’t have asked for a better role model.

Sen's novel approach to maths teaching in the 70s or 80s

Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the NEU said:

So sorry to hear of the loss this week of Indro Sen. Long time NUT and then UCU militant.
Long time school rep at Kingsland secondary school. Successful fights against victimisation.
Highly regarded Maths teacher.Brilliant ally in fights as a parent, and governor, at Benthal Primary school. 

Many condolences to all the family. Rage against the dying of the light. Rest in Peace Sen.

Bernard Regan, long time member of the NUT, Summed up Indro Sen, the person:

A great comrade and campaigner. At the centre of fighting many injustices. I will remember him for his strength of character and gentleness of being. I will remember his laugh with fondness. His hat which he wore all the time - his eye for detail and passionate commitment to fighting injustices including those inflicted on him..We will remember him.

Wembley Matters postings on Indro Sen and his struggle at the College of North West London:

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2016/12/greens-call-for-immediate-and-full.html

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2017/02/support-builds-for-indro-sen-in-cnwl.html

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2017/06/support-cnwl-strikes-to-defend-sacked.html

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2017/05/indro-sens-appeal-against-dismissal-to.html

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2017/02/cnwl-lecturers-threaten-action-to.html

Support CNWL strikes to defend sacked UCU rep Indro Sen

From UCU London Region

Please support the London Region UCU Day of Action *this Wednesday 28th June*  to show solidarity with all those branches in the region who are in dispute.

Ø Support College of North West London – on strike *THIS WEDNESDAY* to Defend sacked UCU Rep Indro Sen!

Ø Support Lewisham and Southwark College – lunchtime protest *THIS WEDNESDAY* against massive job cuts!

Ø Support Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College - on strike *THIS THURSDAY* against redundancies!

What you can do:

·      Visit picket lines, send delegations and banners to branch protests

·      Send messages of support to CNWL: Colin.Purkey@cnwl.ac.uk,
 Lewisham & Southwark: Pascale.Herreman@lscollege.ac.uk and Ruth Fishman
Ruth.Fishman@lscollege.ac.uk, EHWLC:  Matthew Cookson m.cookson@wlc.ac.uk

College of North West London

  - You will recall Sen addressed the UCU congress and informed you then  that the Branch was then in the middle of an ERS ballot. We are happy to inform you that following a favourable ballot with 83% prepared to take strike action under the new draconian law, union has called our branch for two days strike action in support of Sen. This is despite our member  having to face uncertainties over their jobs due to the impending merger planned to take place on 1 August 2017, subject to ministerial approval.


  - We will be striking on Wednesday 28th  June 2017 and Saturday (enrolment day) 1 July 2017. The addresses for picket lines on the 28 June are College of North West London, Brent NW10 2XD ( nearest tube Dollis Hill  ( main campus) and at Wembley Park , HA9 8HP. For 1 July picket will only be at Willesden Campus.

  - This will be the third and fourth day of strike action that members  have been called on to take strike action in support of Sen. Members remain  resolute despite receiving threatening and intimidating letter from our Principal Andy Cole.

  - Following Sen's address to Congress, we would like to thank all those  Congress delegates who has supported our campaign by signing our petition and making donations at the conference which was over £500.

You can support us further by:

·        Signing the petition, which is now 1238  strong at : https://www.
change.org/p/college-of-north-west-london

·        Sending messages of Support to our branch Chair Colin Purkey, at:
Colin.Purkey@cnwl.ac.uk

·        Donations from your branches can be made at :
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/isabelle-rah-1

·        Sending messages of Protest to : the Principal,  Andy.Cole@cnwl.ac.uk and copying it to Sen at senkingsland@hotmail.com and Colin at Colin.Purkey@cnwl.ac.uk You may find some of the comments put down
by the petitioners useful in deciding what to write.

·        Hold lunch time demonstration in support of our fight and send us pictures that we can then pass on to our members.

·        Send delegates to our picket lines on the strike days to College of North West London Brent NW10 2XD and let Colin Purkey know if you can send a delegate on either of the days.

Rydon Construction is on London Mayor's London Development Panel

Indro Sen addressing the recent UCU Congress

Open letter to the Mayor of London, in response to his open letter to the Prime Minister dated 18 June 2017 by Indro Sen, a friend and a caseworker of one of the  Grenfell Tower victims

Mayor of London

Mr. Sadiq Khan

City Hall

The Queen's Walk
London SE1 2AA

 20 June 2017

Dear Mr. Khan,

It is commendable that you have written your open letter highlighting, quite rightly, in my view, some of the concerns faced by poorer and powerless sections of our community of all colour, creed and political persuasion, who live in tower blocks up and down the country, whose voices of concern with regards to health and safety have not been heard by landlords for a long time.

My name is Indro Sen.  I taught in a college, the College of North West London in Brent for the last 11 years, and have been informed that one of our staff member who used to live in Grenfell Tower was released from hospital following the fire at her residence. She is currently staying in a hotel and awaits being rehoused permanently at a place of her choice. I hope those in power will carry out the promises given to her and other inhabitants of Grenfell Tower as well as those living in similar accommodation elsewhere. 

The reason for writing to you is because of what I have recently learnt about your plans to deliver affordable housing to Londoners in line with your election promise, which, in my view does not sit comfortably with the following passage in your open letter to the Prime Minister.  I quote the relevant section below.

You say under the sub heading:

Tower block safety

“Residents I spoke to are worried about the risk of this tragic incident happening elsewhere – particularly in tower blocks that have had similar cladding installed as part of renovations.

People are terrified that the same thing could happen to them. I raised this with Ministers on Wednesday and Thursday, and they agreed to lead coordinated efforts to ensure that all other tower blocks across the country are indeed safe.

This issue is not limited to the type of cladding fitted; the material it is attached to and how this has been achieved are also critical factors.”

What I have recently learnt is that you have set up a team of builders/constructors known as LDP (London Development Panel) LINK, which includes amongst its member Rydon Construction Limited, one of the contractors that have featured in newspaper reports as responsible for providing cladding around Grenfell Tower.

I believe it is a matter of public interest that your office discloses the process/due diligence carried out by your office in selecting this panel of constructors so that Londoners who might benefit from affordable housing will know that these constructors have been selected properly having carried out checks.

I note that you have urged the Prime Minister that the public enquiry produces an interim report. May I invite you to submit your selection procedure for this panel together with the names of 25 LDP members (or any additional members since their selection) to the panel of enquiry and further invite you to declare a moratorium on any building works or plans carried out by any of the LDP panel members until the interim public enquiry report makes clear findings of fact so that the public are assured that none of your panel members are in any way responsible for or contributed to the Grenfell tragedy. 

In addition you should investigate whether any of these LDP members have cut corners with regards to other high-rise buildings, or buildings used by Londoners as you have quite correctly, asked the Prime Minister to investigate the contractors and/or builders responsible for high rise buildings including Grenfell Tower on behalf of the residents.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need any clarification with the subject matter of this letter.

Indro Sen

The LDP Panel from GLA website LINK

Indro Sen's appeal against dismissal to be heard today

Sen teaching students in a park in his spare time back in 2007

Indro Sen, College of North West London, and UCU represenattive will be presenting his Appeal against dismissal from his post at the College of North west London today.  Sen has been supported by many trade unionists, students and ex-students and Brent Green Party LINK

A petition in support of Sen will be presented  LINK along with comments from some of his supporters:

Click to enlarge

Meanwhile comcern over precarious employment such as zero contracts and fake apprenticeships are likely to become General Election issues.   The College of North West London was the victim of an apprenticeship fraud LINK and the UCU called for an public inquiry LINK.

On Wednesday the Metro reported on the Superdrug apprenticeship scheme where young workers alleged their was not real apprenticeship, just a company ploy to emply them on low wages. LINK

CNWL lecturers threaten action to achieve an independent investigation into college fraud

University and College Union (UCU) members at the College of North West London are calling on the college's Governing Body to put into abeyance public consultation on the possible merger with Westminster College, pending an independent inquiry into a fraud carried out at the college by a subcontractor and the publication of its findings. LINK

The union has given notice that if guarantees are not forthcoming by Thursday March 2nd they will seek Regional Office support for the declaration of a trade dispute with the college.  The branch express the hope that if a trade dispute is declared that it could be resolved through negotiations without having to resort to lawful indistrial action.

Backing the unanimous decision of his branch members for an independent inquiry, Indro Sen, suspended Branch Secretary, said.

When students are 10 minutes late, managers instruct the class teachers to monitor their attendance. When teachers do not dot the "t) and "i" in their marked work, they are monitored by their managers and some end up under capability procedures, but when a fraud as large as £356K can take place under the very nose of SFA auditors, borough police chief, Governors and senior management teams, who monitors their performance?

Only an independent public enquiry can get to the bottom of this. Can any students' life chances be said to be in safe hands unless each and every sub-contractor is thoroughly checked out on the Government declared Sub contractor list and those checks are made public for students to see what they are getting into. Until such time, Mr. Boles should consider putting the levy scheme into abeyance.

Sen, a popular maths teacher awaits a decision of the dismissal panel into his fate. Two of his students had this to say about him and are  attending the Public meeting on Friday 24 February 2017 at Willesden Library at 6pm. Speakers include Hank Roberts the Copland High School whistleblower:

Hello Sen,

I am sorry to hear that you have suspended for helping others. You are great teacher and we are with you on this difficult moment. I will be coming to the meeting on Friday and also my colleagues are coming as well. I will see there .
With kind regards
FH

Hi Sen,

You probably dont remember me, your classes were always so rammed with students! But I certainly remember you and your teaching style, you helped me make sense of so many concepts that surpassed my understanding in school. I was in your weekly evening adult maths classes almost 4 years ago, you gave me a chance to retake my maths GCSE when most other collages turned me away. I passed because of your teaching. And due to that; I'm now a specials needs teacher in Harrow. I love what I do, and I'm eternally grateful to those that helped me get here - you being one of them.

I'll be there to support you on Friday, I stand by what your doing and respect the fact that you refuse to back down. It must feel like it'd be so easy to give up the fight - but don't. The world needs teachers like you.

My thoughts are with you

NN

I can reveal that the sub contractor concerned. Keyrail,  also had contracts with Focus Training and Development of over £100K  but my enquiries came to dead end when it turned out they had gone into voluntary liquidation on November 29th 2016.  It appears that there is no way to find out if a similar fraud was perpetrated on them. This puts the spotlight on the SFA, who holds all records, and could investigate any potential fraud.

Apprenticeship schemes under scrutiny as CNWL alleged fraud raises more questions

The Institute of Fiscal Studies Report on apprenticeships LINK raised a number of key issues: I draw particular attention to the highlighted issue of concern to us in Brent over the College of North West London alleged fraud by a subcontractor which led to 78 students missing out due to a non-existent course LINK:

• Although the apprenticeship levy increases taxes on large employers, the new subsidies for employers to train apprentices mean that employers will have to pay nothing, or at most 10%, of off-the-job training costs for apprentices, up to certain price caps set by the government. This will increase the incentive to employers to hire apprentices, particularly those aged 19 and over for whom employers paid at least 50% of training costs prior to 2017.

• This zero or near zero cost of training poses considerable risks to the efficient use of public money. Employers will have little incentive to choose training providers who can provide training at a lower price. Employers will also have a big incentive to re-label existing training schemes as apprenticeships.

• The target of an average of 600,000 new apprentices a year in this parliament is a 20% increase on the level in 2014–15. This large expansion risks increasing quantity at the expense of quality. Although the government is trying to increase the quality of apprenticeships, the Institute for Apprenticeships may come under pressure to approve new apprenticeships quickly. Ofsted will take on an expanded (and welcome) role with respect to inspecting training providers and employers. However, it has already expressed serious concerns about the quality of apprenticeship schemes, particularly those created more recently.

• The apprenticeship levy will put downward pressure on wages. The Office for Budget Responsibility assesses that it will reduce wages by about 0.3% by 2020–21. While only 2% of employers will pay the levy, at least 60% of employees work for employers who will pay the levy.

• The government has set every public sector employer with at least 250 employees in England a target that 2.3% of their workforce must start an apprenticeship each year. This takes no account of big differences between organisations. Unless existing employees start apprenticeships, the targets imply around one-in-five new public sector hires must be an apprentice. Such a blanket policy cannot be an efficient way to improve skills in the public sector. It risks costly reorganisation of training and inefficient ways of working. These targets should be removed.

• The government has also failed to make a convincing case for such a large and rapid expansion in apprenticeships. In seeking to justify these changes, it quotes statistics that show a collapse in employees’ training. However, better measures of training show a much more modest decline. The government also makes wildly optimistic claims about the extra economic activity or earnings such investment in apprenticeships could generate (with quoted benefit-to-cost ratios of over 20:1). While there is a clear need for a better-trained workforce, this cavalier use of statistics risks undermining what might be a perfectly sensible case for a gradual expansion of apprenticeships in areas where quality can be assured.

I can reveal that the company involved in the alleged apprenticeship scheme fraud at the College of North West London was  Keyrail Training Ltd/Keyrail Training Solutions Ltd, an Approved Apprenticeship Training Agency listed at the Skills Funding Agency.

Interestingly this notice was posted on the Companies House site revealing that it was dissolved in May 2016.

However the company remained on the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)  Declared Subcontractors List in September 2016 with an entry of £256,000 for the College of North West London. It was removed from the list in January 2017. The entry for May 2015 had been under the name of Keyrail Training Ltd and was for £100,000 for the College of North West London.

The alleged fraud was  uncovered in the summer of 2016 and the removal from the list may have followed the result of that investigation being reported to the SFA.

The extent of the alleged fraud clearly  supports the IFS concerns but also raises the whole issue of governance of the FE sector, monitoring and audit arrangements, the role of the SFA and risks associated with the privatisation of the sector and the lack of democratic accountability. There is also concern that Indro Sen, the UCU representative at CNWL who assisuously pressed for a full investigation into the issue remains suspended by CNWL management.

It reminds me of the whistleblowing by Hank Roberts, ATL representative at the then Copland High School when he uncovered a fraud at the school.

It is unclear what action has been taken by the police but it is perhaps noteworthy that Mark Gallagher, Brent Borough Commander, is on the governing body (Corporation) of the College of North West London.

Support builds for Indro Sen in CNWL dispute

The London Region of the UCU passed a motion of Indro Sen and the CNWL union branch at their meeting on Saturday. Indro Sen, UCU representative,  is currently suspended by the College of North west London. A meeting to express solidarity will be held at Willesden Library at 6pm on February 24th with an open invitationto students, parents, trade unionists and community activists.

The resolution states:

Motion to Support Sen and CNWL UCU – 28.1.17

London Region sends it solidarity to Sen and the Branch in their campaign against victimisation.

The LR resolves to:

1) Support the next strike day and join Sen and his colleagues on the picket lines 

2) Encourage branches to support a day of action in support of Sen on the next day of strike action. Eg taking solidarity selfies.

3) Encourage members to attend the public meeting on 24 February in support of Sen. 

4) Request that Sen’s campaign is publicised through UCU's national networks including Campaign news.

Call for public inquiry as 78 CNWL students lose out to fraud

The UCU branch at the College of North West London (CNWL) is calling for all merger negotiations with the College of Westminster (CoW) to be called off pending a Public Inquiry by the College Corporation into a fraud by college subcontractors.

Click to enlarge

The college accounts give a sum of £139,000 lost in the fraud but staff calculate that the total could be at least £256,000 and at most £356,000 over two years.

A branch member said:

The 78 students who fell victim to this fraud should be offered compensation as well as provision being put in place that is twice as good as before, so that they can fulfil their once held aspiration to further their life chances. Any public enquiry should place them at its heart, some of them have probably been forced to seek employment instead. The majority of them are from the diverse community we serve.

The union has posed some key questions over whether steps have been taken to recover the lost monies under its fraud policy and how the college audit committee's monitoring as well as that of the Skills Funding Agency and Ofsted failed to uncover the  fraud.

Indro Sen, the CNWL Branch Secretary, is currently suspended from teaching, but is continuing to represent members.

I may be sacked but not silenced. I will keep defending our members in which ever forum they choose to fight and continue to be true to our students and believe the best judge of me remains the trade union movement and my students.

A public meeting will take place on Wednesday 24 February from 6pm to 8pm at Willesden Library,.  The meeting will  focus on trade union victimisation, the merger of the CoW  and CNWL as well as the UCU branch's ongoing fraud investigation.

CNWL UCU members took half day strike action on the 19 January between 8am to 2pm following a 95% yes vote on an ERS ballot for industrial action on a turnout of about 60% ballot return, the dispute dispute being suspension and dismissal threat against the Branch Secretary.

Members also took 1/2 day's strike action on the same day between 2pm to 9pm following a 90% yes vote on a concurrent but separate ERS ballot for industrial action on a turnout of about 54% ballot return, the dispute being compulsory redundancy a member whose internal appeal against compulsory redundancy was heard on the 17 January 2017 and who was represented  by Indro Sen her at her hearing.

Both ballots remain live.

Greens call for immediate and full reinstatement of suspended lecturer Indro Sen

Indro Sen

Peter Murry, Trade Union Liaison officer for the London Federation of Green Parties and for Brent Green Party has issued the following statement in support of Indro Sen, suspended by the management of the College of North West London:

As Trade Union Liaison Officer for the London Federation of Green Parties and for Brent Green Party, I was shocked to learn of the suspension of Indro Sen as a lecturer at the College of North West London. It is suggested that this is because of his strong opposition to a proposed merger with the City of Westminster College, and his support at an employment tribunal, of a sacked colleague’s claim of unfair dismissal and victimisation.

Both of these are actions are entirely proper for a University and College Union Branch Secretary to carry out. If Indro Sen’s suspension is a result of his performing the legitimate duties of a UCU Officer, then he himself seems to be threatened with unfair treatment and victimisation.

As a former Lecturer in the College and a retired member of UCU , I am saddened that the College, which provides a valued service to the communities of North West London., and Brent in particular, might bring itself into disrepute because of its treatment of Indro Sen. I am sure that members and supporters of the Green Party, UCU members , and the local communities will support my call for the immediate and full reinstatement of Indro Sen as a lecturer at the College and no further interference with his activities as UCU Branch Secretary.