STAFF at City College Brighton took one-day strike action yesterday against threatened job losses and cuts to courses and support staff.
The UCU members voted by 89 per cent for industrial action against what the union says are management plans to introduce Tesco-style education, McDonald’s-style contracts, vanity projects and empire building.
Up to 50 full-time roles are likely to be lost – half of them teaching staff and the rest from other services – as the college looks to save £1.5 million. Many staff blame the current cuts on the management’s ambitious £79 million rebuilding scheme.
Jon Gilhooly, UCU joint-branch secretary at the college, told News Line: ‘We are taking action today to protest against cuts at City College. These will particularly hit those vulnerable students who rely on the college’s facilities in the local community, specifically adults with learning difficulties and their support staff who provide services such as counselling. If we allow this to happen, teaching staff will be asked to put in more hours with increased workloads and bigger class sizes. The management say that finances for new buildings have nothing to do with the cuts but we say it has everything to do with it.’
Student Alice Martin stopped to support the picket line at the main entrance and said she fully backed the strike. She added: ‘I have raised these cuts on the Student Council and written to those responsible that we do not support the proposals. We need our teachers. We need to be taught by experienced staff.’
UCU and Unison members from the University of Brighton at Falmer also joined the picket line. UCU branch secretary at the university, Nadia Edmond, said: ‘It is really important we support our colleagues on strike as it is not just an attack on their jobs and terms and conditions, but also an attack on education provision for the local community.’
Patrick Seward, Unison shop steward City College, told News Line that his union’s ballot end on June 23.
‘We strongly presume the ballot will be in favour of strike action and, if so, we are looking to activate it in the first week of July,’ he said. ‘All our members are fully in support of UCU’s action today and we will discuss with our members about coordinated strike action. Effective action is our priority.’
Meanwhile more staff are walking out at Lambeth College this week to join the indefinate strike over changes to staff contracts. The UCU said: ‘Members of the University and College Union (UCU) walked out indefinately last Tuesday (3 June). ‘They will be joined Wednesday and Thursday by their colleagues from the trade union Unison, who have backed a two-day strike.
‘There are pickets outside the college’s main entrances in Clapham, Brixton and Vauxhall each morning.
‘On Wednesday there will be a rally outside the college’s Clapham site from 11am. Speakers include staff and students from the college and UCU’s general secretary Sally Hunt.’
