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Protocol Temp Agency Implements Overt System of Age Discrimination

Anon | 24.01.2010 17:31 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

Protocol is a temp Agency used up and down the county by public sector employers to provide temp staff- primarily to avoid staff accruing pension rights- it is therefore especially insidious that they are allowed to discriminate on the basis of age.

The database of the Protocol Temp Agency which provides supply teachers and lecturers to many Further Education Colleges is organised to identify applicants first and foremost according to their age. When I applied to be registered the first thing I was asked was my date of birth, "So I can put you on the database"- I was told. This is at variance with the policy when you apply for a position at FE Colleges directly- being public bodies and having an anti-ageism policy they always have you enter your date of birth on the part of the application which states your racial origin and sexuality- this is then separated and shortlisting panels do not see it. Hence Protocol's policy is totally opposite to the established FE college policy- why then do Protocol have a Manopoly of temp labour supply at so many FE colleges eg. The Manchester College and The Sheffield College.
In addition, when a college approaches Protocol do they ask for someone 35ish or someone who can teach Biology for example!
Protocol's website tries to defend their ageism by saying it is used for identification purposes- nonsense I said when I queried it- lots of people may know my date of birth- why not issue Passwords or Pin numbers like millions of websites or banks.

No this is hard edged ageism- come on UCU do you have a policy here!

Anon

Comments

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Bollocks to Protocol

26.01.2010 00:31

Protocol Professional (sic) are a thoroughly scummy organisation all round. Forcing hourly paid staff to pay for overpriced annual CRB checks even though they're not needed, creaming off a huge proportion of the fee paid by colleges to the people who actually do the work - the lecturers. I worked for what is now Leeds City College (another college where PP have a monopoly) through this so-called agency for over eight years and I don't recall ever getting any sort of pay increase in that time, I'm sure Protocol were getting plenty more for my services though. No sick pay ever, and holiday pay only because Europe forced their hand.

As for UCU having a policy on this or anything else, don't hold your breath. When the college held a round of redundancies a couple of years ago they emailed me (as one of the potential victims) touting for new members. I already was a member and had been for a number of years, the useless fuckers simply didn't know who their own membership was. UCU couldn't find their arse in the dark with both hands.

The only solution is not to register with Protocol in the first place, find another college if the one you're looking at is monopolised by them. Or better yet, do what I did and get out of FE altogether. The colleges are rotten to the core, mismanaged by incompetents, appallingly funded and the whole sector is dying on its arse.

Happy Ex Lecturer

A Political Campaign?

26.01.2010 14:03


Could a political campaign aimed at stopping Labour Authorities giving monopoly contracts be a way forward?

Are there manopoly supply contracts legal? Competition?

How best to 'OUT ' Protocol?

Is there a legal requirement for Age info to be held separate from the rest of an application form as racial info is? Any lawyers out there?

Tu