Beleaguered Manchester College hit by strike action in Buckinghamshire

The action is being organised by members UCU who will be on picket lines from 7am outside the main entrance to Oakhill Secure Training centre.
 
Manchester College took over the contract for teaching at the centre in August 2008 and now only a third (13) of the original staff team of 34 are still in post less than a year later. The union says it has no option but to take industrial action after serious allegations of bullying and harassment have not been dealt with.
 
Oakhill members take strike action The industrial action is another damaging blow for Manchester College as it battles to defend allegations of union busting and job cuts, described by UCU as 'unnecessary and punitive'. The industrial action in Buckinghamshire is the second disruption to the college this month after staff walked out locally on Wednesday 1 July in the row over job cuts. UCU today called on the beleaguered college to get its 'house in order'.
 
UCU regional official for Manchester, Colin Gledhill, said: 'Manchester College needs to get its house in order. It has been given every opportunity to avoid strike action but has failed to stop the bullying of its staff. Bullying and personal abuse have no place in an education establishment, least of all where staff are expected to behave as role models for unsettled and vulnerable young people.
 
'Manchester College is one of the biggest in Europe and should be looking to make full use of the expertise of the staff it has, wherever they are based. Unless it steps back from the punitive round of job cuts and sorts out these very serious bullying allegations, it is going to do enormous damaging to its fledging reputation.'