Staff balloted for strike action as Leeds College of Building breaks promises on pay
1 June 2011
Members of UCU at Leeds College of Building (LCB) are being balloted for industrial action in a row over jobs and pay. The result of the ballot is expected on Wednesday 15 June.
The union says the college has gone back on an agreement to protect staff pay for three years as some staff face pay cuts of as much as £10,000 a year. On top of pay cuts, the college wants to make 39 redundancies.
Lecturers who survive the cull have also been told to expect an increase in working hours of up to 20%, which the union says is an attempt to deliver 'teaching on the cheap'.
UCU has accused management of using the cuts in further education as an excuse for rushing through its programme. The union pointed to the college's latest financial accounts which showed that it was holding £10,157,000 in reserves, including cash balances of £7,272,000.
UCU regional official, Julie Kelley, said: 'Not content with making staff redundant Leeds College of Building is also ripping up agreements in a dangerous attempt to deliver teaching on the cheap.
'Strike action is always a last resort but we are not willing to sit back and watch members' jobs, pay and conditions attacked in this way. The college is using the funding uncertainties in further education as an excuse to rush through cuts, despite being in a healthy financial position.'
Lecturers who survive the cull have also been told to expect an increase in working hours of up to 20%, which the union says is an attempt to deliver 'teaching on the cheap'.
UCU has accused management of using the cuts in further education as an excuse for rushing through its programme. The union pointed to the college's latest financial accounts which showed that it was holding £10,157,000 in reserves, including cash balances of £7,272,000.
UCU regional official, Julie Kelley, said: 'Not content with making staff redundant Leeds College of Building is also ripping up agreements in a dangerous attempt to deliver teaching on the cheap.
'Strike action is always a last resort but we are not willing to sit back and watch members' jobs, pay and conditions attacked in this way. The college is using the funding uncertainties in further education as an excuse to rush through cuts, despite being in a healthy financial position.'
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