Rhetta Moran, a researcher of international renown and also a highly respected figure in the local community worked for Salford University.
The press exposure relating to Dr Moran's research and human rights work regarding immigration policy was seen as politically sensitive to the government at a time that the Minister concerned with immigration Hazel Blears was pursuing what many regard as inhumane policies against asylum seekers. Hazel Blears lives in Salford,
Before her dismissal from the University, Rhetta Moran lost her post at RAPAR, a project funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Rhetta Moran was not consulted or even warned of the possibility that she might lose her job at the University before being dismissed. She only found out months after the decision had been made. Rhetta Moran was also the only researcher to be made redundant from her institute.
Colleagues of Dr Moran believe that her losing her positions was as a result of political pressure.
Rather than accept money offered to her by Salford University in exchange for her silence as to the treatment she had received from Salford University, Rhetta Moran took her case to an employment tribunal in order to gain reinstatement.
Representing herself at tribunal against the University's Barrister and legal team, Rhetta had what was to emerge as an insurmountable problem of finding enough proof to convince the tribunal of her belief that Salford University had not needed to make her redundant, but had dismissed her unfairly for political reasons.
That Dr Moran has been unable to find another post since, and has exhausted all her financial means in her unsuccessful attempt to be reinstated has not prevented Salford University from bringing a costs action against her.
Salford University in what would seem to be a vindictive act of punishing Rhetta Moran is asking the Employment Tribunal to give the University its highest award of £10,000. Can the University really be interested in recovering money from someone who has none, or is it rather interested in warning other potential tribunal applicants of the fate that awaits them when they protest their treatment by that university?
Your solidarity is urgently needed to help persuade Salford University to desist from the shameful course it is following.
You may wish to email Michael Harloe Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford to ask him to drop the costs action (to be heard 10am this Friday at the Employment Tribunal Manchester):
m.harloe@salford.ac.uk (please copy emails to rhettamorancampaign@googlemail.com)