UNIVERSITY lecturers in the city have agreed to put off more industrial action until after further talks.

The announcement from the University and College Union comes after Bradford West MP George Galloway accused the university’s management bosses of bullying and intimidating teaching staff.

The Respect MP put forward a parliamentary motion on Wednesday claiming managers at the university were using “Victorian mill owner” tactics to make intimidatory threats to lecturers and staff who were protesting, by boycotting marking, about proposed reductions to their pension rights and benefits.

An open letter to senior university staff was also sent from colleagues at the Universities of Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York expressing their “sorrow and indignation” at how managers are treating staff, requesting management enters into discussions with union officials to improve industrial relations.

However, yesterday the university’s director of human resources Joanne Marshall contacted all staff confirming the UCU had suspended industrial action until after Thursday, January 15, to negotiate a solution.

“At Bradford, the few individuals who advised they were participating between November 6 and 19 will be asked to make up all work that they missed within a reasonable period of time,” she said. “This means that all colleagues will of course receive full pay without any deduction.”