Lecturers at Hull College Group will be balloted on strike action later this week, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today.
The move is in response to a recent announcement by the college’s chief executive, Michelle Swithenbank, that 231 jobs will be made redundant because of financial pressures facing the college.
The ballot will open this Friday and close next Wednesday. It comes two weeks after union members voted in favour of a motion to go into dispute at an emergency meeting of the college’s branch of the UCU.
Anger at job cuts
The college has threatened to dismiss any staff who refuse to sign up to new contracts, according to the UCU. The union is opposed to the proposals, which Ms Swithenbank claims are necessary to safeguard the future of the college.
UCU regional official Julie Kelley said: “The proposed speed and scale of these cuts is a devastating blow to staff, students and the local community. These changes will mean fewer contact hours for students, fewer learning opportunities for local people and huge loss of specialist expertise. It’s difficult to see how losing a third of the workforce will lead to a sustainable future for the college.”
She added: “We want to work with college management to look at alternatives to these damaging cuts, but the college has so far failed to provide proper details of their financial plans to the union. Our members feel they have been left with no option but to commence a ballot for strike action.”
Financial problems
Hull College Group, one of Britain’s biggest FE institutions, has been under increasing pressure over its finances during the past year.
The FE commissioner warned last February that the college has a “cumulative deficit of around £10 million” and a “further deficit in excess of £1 million is forecast for the current year”.
The college’s proposals to slash staff come months after it agreed to make radical changes in the way it runs, after an area review of colleges by the Department for Education.
A spokesperson for Hull College Group said: “This proposed restructure remains a proposal, subject to collective consultation with the recognised trade unions, and subsequently to individual consultation with those employees affected”.
They added: “Despite our surprise and disappointment at this unnecessary and premature call for industrial action, we understand that employees have a right to take industrial action and UCU have a right to ballot their members. Therefore, we will await the results of the ballot and we will take the necessary steps to minimise the disruption such action will inevitably cause to our students”.
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