Concern has been expressed at the extent of union recognition at the University College Isle of Man.

In response to a House of Keys question from Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew), Education Minister Graham Cregeen said the University and College Union and the National Education Union were the two unions recognised by the Education department at UCM, with representatives on the joint negotiating committee for lecturers. The NASUWT claims it has 59 lecturer members at UCM.

But Julie Edge asked how college staff who were not lecturers could be represented on the joint negotiating committee. Mr Cregeen said the code of practice allowed - where a union could demonstrate it had 50% of employees in the membership ’in respect of the bargaining unit concerned’ - the employer to recognise that union.

If the union did not meet that stipulation, all the employees in the bargaining could still take a vote to grant that union recognition.

But Mr Moorhouse said a ’closed shop’ had been created and he asked whether it was possible that the recognised unions might not want other unions involved in the negotiation process ’because they would potentially lose the Minister’s ear’.

He warned that a ’significant number’ of lecturers were in unions not able to talk to the department. But Mr Cregeen said there was nothing to stop any union from talking to the department.

Clare Barber (Douglas East) said the number of unions representing staff at the UCM was expanding, because the likes of Keyll Darree education and training centre for health staff now came under the college’s umbrella, meaning that there were nursing unions to be considered too.

Mr Cregeen said the situation on union recognition at UCM was under discussion.