Action threat over redundancy row
by Kathie McInnes
LECTURERS are to take industrial action at Stoke-on-Trent College in an escalating row over staff redundancies.
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Fifteen staff are currently under threat of compulsory redundancy as part of a restructuring programme triggered by cuts in Government funding.
Unions yesterday staged a demonstration before a meeting with senior management and pressed for a rethink over the job losses.
Now the University and College Union (UCU), which represents hundreds of lecturers there, is considering balloting members over strike action and is setting up a committee to investigate the options. It follows an informal vote last week in favour of industrial action.
Staff are also livid after it emerged the college will be paying the salaries for two principals for a two-month period next term.
Present principal Graham Moore is due to retire at Christmas. But his successor, Sarah Robinson, will start work at the college in November as part of the hand-over arrangements. Her new job was advertised with a £130,000-a-year salary.
Mrs Robinson was formally appointed as principal designate yesterday. She is currently head of Darlington College, which was recently rated as outstanding by inspectors.
UCU branch secretary Jeff Kent said: "Having two principals is an incredible luxury at a time when the college is attempting to force through compulsory redundancies. This money could have helped save people's jobs."
He also described the college's redundancy plans as "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".
Mr Kent added: "Some of the staff could be re-deployed and there is also a natural turnover. The industrial action will go on as long as jobs are under threat.
"The most extreme option is a strike. But we want to minimise the effect on students. It could include not doing administrative work."
Posts under threat include dyslexia support workers and several teaching jobs.
Mr Moore stressed dyslexic students would still have access to support, but that it would no longer involve intensive one-to-one work.
He confirmed he would be working alongside his successor next term. But he claimed these arrangements would be cost neutral because another senior manager is leaving this summer and is not being replaced. Mr Moore will take over this manager's workload, but will just claim his principal's salary.
The Sentinel revealed in April more than 50 college staff were at risk of redundancy as a result of £1 million cost-cutting plans.
Since then, some people have volunteered for redundancy and a number of others have been re-deployed or have agreed to reduce their hours. Staff have also foregone a pay rise.
The college's nursery has also been saved from closure.
Andy Robinson, director of human and physical resources, said redundancies were a "last resort".
He added the college wanted to address the issues in partnership with unions and hoped they wouldn't take a "confrontational approach".
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5 Comments
by eddy, Leek
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 12:53PM
“I note that the college Dyslexia support are threatened with redundancy. As the support tutors are specialists I would assume that they have received specialised training to carry out this role, no doubt at a considerable cost. Where is the economic sense in that? Train these people up to only to decide that they are no longer required.
Additionally I also note that ¿Mr Moore stressed dyslexic students would still have access to support, but that it would no longer involve intensive one-to-one work¿. Is it not the case that many people with dyslexia may still feel it is a stigma and as such they would be unwilling to participate in non one-to-one work (assuming this could mean group work with others of differing abilities)? This would deny this group of students of a route to fulfill their true potential. Isn¿t education supposed to be for all?
It is also quite bizarre that the Government has recently announce education initiatives to provide specialist dyslexia support to schools and provide personalised tuition in English and Maths where children are falling behind. And these initiatives to improve education are announced at the same time that the college announces that it wants to get rid of its specialists. Where is the sense in that?”
by Dyslexia Association of Staffordshire Limited, Newcastle under Lyme
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 11:59AM
“As an organisation which refers dyslexic learners to local colleges, we would like a reassurance that testing, tuition and support will continue to be available by dyslexia specialists at Stoke College please”
by Paul, Trentham
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 11:55AM
“Mr Moore's assertion that the dual Principal role is cost neutral is inaccurate.
To be cost neutral, he would need to take his Senior Managers salary, rather than his Principal salary.
Perhaps this simple economic error gives an insight in to why the College is contracting at a time when the local demand for training and learning is increasing!”
by Paul, Trentham
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 11:46AM
“For Mr Moore to say that the dual Principal role is cost neutral is innaccurate.
To be cost neutral, he would have to take the Senior Manager salary for the "settling in" period, not the Principal's salary.
Perhaps his grasp of economics may be the reason for the College's need to economise in a period of training expansion.”
by Stan Laurel, Hanley
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 10:44AM
“If the college are making folk redundant why is there a vacancy advertised in todays Sentinel? Surely it should be offered to those at risk of losing their jobs first?”