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Strike ballot opens at South Tyneside College

3 May 2011

Members of UCU at South Tyneside College will today be balloted for strike action in a row over jobs and pay. The ballot result is expected on Monday 16 May.

The union is pushing ahead with the ballot after the college's management refused to reconsider plans that will put 200 jobs at risk and see some lecturers lose as much as £11,000 from their annual salary.
 
UCU members have been backed in their dispute by the local community, with 84% supporting their action in a poll by the Shields Gazette.
 
The union said it was still hopeful a negotiated settlement could be reached, but said it would not accept compulsory redundancies and downgrading on such a large scale. The ballot comes just months after 38 staff accepted voluntary redundancy. In addition, 38 posts were lost last summer.
 
UCU said the plans were yet more bad news for education in the north-east. Elsewhere in the region, Newcastle College and Bishop Auckland College have announced plans for over 350 redundancies between them.
 
UCU regional support official, Jon Bryan, said: 'The college's plans will see teaching staff put on the dole queue at a time when they should be training people made redundant during the recession. Staff that survive the cull face massive pay cuts and increased workloads. This is completely unacceptable and is deeply unpopular with the local community, which the college is here to serve.'

'Strike action is always a last resort and we remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached. However, we will not sit idly by while the jobs and pay or our members are attacked.'

Last updated: 26 June 2019

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