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Long-running dispute at Nottingham College ends as college agrees deal on pay and workload

15 November 2019

A long-running dispute at Nottingham College has ended after the college agreed to retain current workload protections and ensure no staff would see their pay cut as a result of new contracts. The agreement also rules out proposed cuts to sick pay and annual leave.

UCU said the college had finally recognised that it needs to work with its staff and not against them, and said it hoped the deal would pave the way for more positive negotiations on workloads and a new pay framework for staff.

The dispute centred on the college's attempts to impose inferior contracts that would have cut holiday entitlement and left some staff over £1000 worse off. UCU members at the college had walked out for 15 days in September and October and passed votes of no confidence in their CEO and chair of governors. The union said that the dispute should never have got to this stage and questioned why students had lost 15 days of lessons at such a crucial time of year.

Members of UCU at the college had been due to walk out for 14 days this month, but agreed to suspend the action to consider the college's latest offer, which has now been accepted.

UCU head of further education Andrew Harden said: 'Nobody ever wants to take strike action, but this deal is a testament to members' determination to fight threats to their pay and working conditions. We should never have got to this stage and questions remain about why students lost 15 days of lessons at such a crucial time of year. The college has finally recognised that it needs to work with its staff and not against them and we hope this deal will now pave the way for more positive future negotiations on pay and conditions at the college.'

Last updated: 18 November 2019