The latest industrial tribunal to preside over a claim of unfair dismissal against Borders College began taking evidence in Edinburgh this week. Rodney Adams, a former lecturer in welding, claimed he was “set up” for redundancy by the college’s management.
Mr Adams, a member of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Association, alleges he was moved to the mechanical engineering department which was already overstaffed in order to provide an excuse to dismiss him.
He says he could not contribute to his new department as he had no previous experience in many of the areas that were taught. He subsequently scored poorly in staff appraisals which, he argues, were made on a subjective basis by Wallace Beveridge, his superior, with whom he had a strained working relationship.
Bob Murray, the college’s depute principal, said under cross examination that Mr Adams, aged 49 had a “cavalier” attitude to safety and had been unwilling to undertake staff development. Mr Murray claimed Mr Adams was simply not up to the standard required of staff and denied any suggestion that there had been an attempt to single him out for redundancy.
