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ALL charges against a University of London librarian suspended for showing solidarity with a student occupation were dropped yesterday.
School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas) Unison branch secretary Sandy Nicoll was informed that his suspension over claims of “gross misconduct” had been discarded.
Management backed down after the school was shut down in protest by two student and staff walk-outs.
Hours earlier, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had thrown his weight behind the campaign, posing with Mr Nicoll for a photo at the Refugees Welcome Here demonstration.
Green Party leader Natalie Bennett also supported his case.
Soas Unison member Harry Stephens sent a message to Mr Nicoll’s supporters confirming the good news, saying: “Well done everybody! This is a fantastic achievement made possible by all the terrific support and solidarity shown by the branch, as well as the impressive support from right across the Soas community.”
Mr Nicoll, who has often led shows of solidarity with the school’s students, had passed through the college’s Unison branch a message of support for an ongoing student occupation in protest at an estimated £5 million cuts.
Last week, the college was closed down by three consecutive days of action in solidarity with Mr Nicoll, including unofficial walk-outs by the local branches of Unison and lecturers’ union UCU.
A total of 187 members of staff also signed a letter to Soas director Valerie Amos demanding the librarian’s reinstatement.
A Soas spokeswoman told the Star that for “data protection reasons” no comment was made on matters of human resources.
