The Union of Professional Educations has escalated its industrial action at the Institute of Tourism Studies after it was informed that the ITS issued letters intimating disciplinary action against members of staff for  having followed UPE directives. 

In a statement, the UPE said it was declaring a trade dispute with the ITS after these retaliatory measures were taken against members or perceived members of the UPE.

Furthermore the UPE is also declaring the present dispute for the mischaracterisation of its directives at ITS as  "unofficial industrial action" when in fact the UPE's directive were issued in furtherance of another trade dispute it had declared with the ITS, which dispute is still currently in force. 

The UPE reiterated its position also affirmed before the Director of Industrial and Employment Relations that its directives at ITS are perfectly legitimate as these were issued in furtherance of an existing trade dispute with ITS. Moreover, the said directives are in no way related to the collective agreement but to the physical conditions in which the workers are expected to work and related health and safety issues.

The UPE said it considers the ITS' intimation of disciplinary action as tantamount to intimidation and bullying of workers for following legitimate union directives intended solely to protect their health and safety and professional integrity and the workplace. Furthermore, the UPE sustained that the ITS' course of action is also highly discriminatory given that certain workers who were not following the directives

(because they were not applicable to their line of work) were still issued with the same letter intimating disciplinary procedures presumably for being held as UPE members or sympathizers. 

For the above reasons the UPE is issuing the following directives which will be effective as from today:

ITS members of the UPE are not to teach, lecture or do practical sessions when they are assigned foundation/certificate individual classes.

ITS members of the UPE are not to correct, assign marks on paper, orally or digitally to foundation/certificate individual classes.