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Strike at Leeds College of Building

6 July 2011

Members of the UCU at Leeds College of Building are taking strike action today in a row over job losses and pay.

Staff will be on picket lines this morning at the entrance to the institution on North Street, near Lovell Park.
 
The union says the college has reneged upon an agreement to protect staff pay for three years as some staff now face annual pay cuts of as much as £10,000. On top of the pay cuts, the college wants to make 39 redundancies.
 
Lecturers who survive the cull have 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 the college of using the funding difficulties in the further education sector as an excuse for rushing through its own cuts agenda. 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, John Giddins, said: 'UCU members at Leeds College of Building are on strike today because the college plans has broken its promises over pay and wants to axe jobs. We will not stand by and watch the college try and deliver teaching on the cheap. Nor will we allow the college to use the current funding challenges in further education as an excuse to make cuts when it is in a healthy financial position.'
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'UCU members at Leeds College of Building have the full support of the national union. Strike action is always a last resort, but we refuse to tolerate attacks on our members' jobs, pay and conditions.'
Last updated: 11 December 2015

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