GCSE results day strike action at under fire Manchester College

The strike action will cause serious problems for the college as students collect GCSE results and the college opens for the first day of enrolments. There will be picket lines from 8am on the entrances to the college at:

• Moston -  Ashley Lane
• Shena Simon- Chorlton Street 
• St John's- Quay Street 
• Nicholls- Hyde Road
• Northenden- Sale Road

The protestors will then meet on the Shena Simon campus before heading to a mass meeting at 11am in the Friend's Meeting House on Mount Street -  The 15 staff made redundant have appealed against the decision, but have been told they will not be allowed to attend their appeal hearings. The college has since said it wants to tear up the facility agreement with the union and bring in new contracts without consulting the union. The local UCU branch secretary and member of UCU's national executive, David Swanson, was one of the staff dismissed by the college.

UCU is furious that the college, which is a result of a merger between MANCAT and City College Manchester, targeted union activists in a round of redundancies it described as punishing and unnecessary.  Some of the courses now forced to close include the most basic level English classes for people and the union is concerned about the impact the cuts will have on the most vulnerable people in the local community. The college is also closing all its sign language courses and has already closed a crèche.

David Swanson said: "Manchester College has closed a crèche, shut down basic language courses and is now closing all sign language classes. The message seems to be don't be a single parent, make sure you speak full English, don't be disabled and don't be a trade unionist prepared to stand up for the most vulnerable in society. Manchester deserves better than this"

Barry Lovejoy, UCU head of further education, said: "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, not axe them when the local community needs them most. Put simply, the college is employing the nastiest tactics available to get rid of union activists and warn others that if they try to seek decent pay and conditions they can expect a similar fate. That this is being done despite the obvious damage to the local community is nothing short of shocking."