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College staff’s double whammy of job and pay cuts
www.gilbertjohnston.co.uk tel 07867812537 Lindsey Whiterod, Principle of South Tyneside College, 1/10/09.
SOUTH Tyneside College staff are ready to strike over a devastating “double whammy” of job losses and pay cuts.
It’s feared up to 100 jobs could go across the South Shields and Hebburn sites as one of the borough’s biggest employers faces up to £3m in budget cuts.
Lecturers also face having their salaries cut by up to £11,000.
University and College Union (UCU) members were given the grim news yesterday and are pressing ahead with plans for industrial action.
Union bosses say South Tyneside College will be unable to meet the needs of the community if 100 jobs are slashed.
Lecturers and staff face another round of redundancies and hefty wage reductions after college funding was cut again.
Earlier this year, the college, in St George’s Avenue, South Shields, and Mill Lane, Hebburn, was facing £3m in cuts – effectively a quarter of its annual funding.
The jobs blow comes just weeks after 15 staff accepted voluntary redundancy, on top of 61 posts lost last year.
At a meeting yesterday, UCU members voted overwhelmingly to press ahead with industrial action.
The equivalent to 62-and-a-half full-time posts are to go, which unions estimate will mean about 100 people losing jobs from the 547 permanent posts at the college.
Lecturers will also have their pay cut by as much as £11,000 per year.
UCU regional support official Jon Bryan said: “Staff at South Tyneside have been hit with a double whammy of job cuts and huge reduction in pay.
“These plans are the last thing the region can take and will stop the college from meeting the needs of the communities it is here to serve.
“Everyone is aware of the cuts in funding, but the severity of these plans will come back and haunt the institution and make it harder to retain and recruit staff.
“Our members will do all they can to protect their jobs and pay, and the education of their students. We hope redundancies can be kept at voluntary, but have a concern there will be compulsory losses.”
Unison members, who work in clerical, admin and technicians roles, will meet on Monday before UCU and Unison bosses talk to management on Tuesday.
Merv Butler, Unison’s South Tyneside branch secretary, said: “Unfortunately, the management say they need further redundancies and hopefully voluntary agreements can be made.”
Principal Lindsey Whiterod said: “The final confirmation of our funding was received at the end of March and we have now identified the detailed impact of these cuts on our curriculum offer.
“We have had to evaluate our curriculum offer and work on a new plan to maximise the funding available to us. We are working with the unions to minimise the impact on staff.
“We are aware this is difficult for staff. This is an extension of previous redundancy periods as we continue to receive notification of next year’s funding.
“As a college we do not take these decisions lightly, the redundancy process has taken months as we did not want to make any decisions until we received the allocated budget for each area.”
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
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planky
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 12:25 PMBest looking Principle I ever seen - yowser yowser - but then again I'm pretty old - Up the workers comrades
scallyally
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 06:58 PMDancing Queen I do somewhat agree to your recent post. And yes I do care whole heartedly at job losses in my local area, I am lucky to be in a thriving industry and sadly education at this moment in time is not in that catergory. I think if the college was updated and was as modern as say Gateshead College with its fabulous facilities these threats wouldnt seem as looming. Huge salary cuts will indeed see the majority of decent lectures off to pastures new which will leave poor South Tyneside College in a heck of a state.
DancingQueen
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 04:40 PMPetulance adds nothing to the debate. One’s own personal experience should not cloud their judgement and prevent them from seeing the bigger picture (although it is true that there are good and bad employees in most organisations). It is very sad that some people appear oblivious to the impact redundancies are having on our local community. I certainly do give a jot when anyone in the local community is made redundant and I do care about the decisions being taken by the senior management team of the college and how this may impact on the local community, students, and the economic wellbeing of South Tyneside. I also believe the vast majority of South Tyneside residents do give a jot when redundancies loom in their community. Everyone is aware of the need for cuts but we have a government who appear to place little value on education and a senior management team at the College who appear clueless; what other explanation is there for 200 jobs at risk of redundancy alongside salary cuts of up to £11,000 and an increase in workload of 20%. What value does society place on education? People should start giving a jot!!
scallyally
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 09:58 AMDancing Queen.....GROW UP! This is a comment's page, free for all, not a space to attack someone. Just shows your total lack of people skills, manners and decorum having to result to attacking someone who has their own personal views. Hope youre post is removed as I have reported you!
DancingQueen
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 07:11 PMscallyally....” And for your information I do not read any of the national papers”....it shows!
MasterJim
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 04:56 PMI have recently retired from HE after a long fruitful career in both FE and HE. I am extremely concerned with the proposals at the college. Asking front line staff, that are the very people that do the educating to make such sacrifices, whilst the non practitioners sit comfortable in their offices seems extremely immoral. Our youngsters require the best possible educaion. In my experience the lower the level the more dedication required. It seems the college propose a two tier system that harks back to the bad old days where only the high achievers get the cream! So wrong. Come on lets have some serious thought otherwise I'm afraid it will be goodbye to South Tyneside College which has some of the best educators in the region.
scallyally
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 03:18 PMDancing Queen ....I take it you are one of those striking lectureres, well I was one of those students and for my part at South Tyneside College it was one of the worst places to study due to the lectureres! So before you go on your high horse, look at the view from a student then maybe your rude and pathetic comments wouldnt be worth the space of a "comments" page. MY comments not yours! And for your information I do not read any of the national papers. I could go on and on about South Tyneside College but I wont.....far more important things to do!
Pidge01
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 10:27 AMYeah scallyally, going to College is all about EMA and ALG...sort it out! That's part of the problem, students and parents are all to quick to enrol on courses for £30.00 a week and don't understand that EMA and ALG are performance based as well as attendance based, students don't achieve their targets, they don't get paid, simples! Priorities all wrong! As for this whole debacle, it's easy for people to criticise the staff, who already work stupid amounts of hours!...but would you increase your workload by 20% and take a potential £10-11k pay cut in a job that is driven by blind government figurestatgets, I think not. The government and senior managers appear clueless about what we do on the front line! We are the grunts who take the flack for their inept management, like bugs, they stamp us out when they feel the need, take a look at yourselves and what you can do to help... rather than buying shiny new cars to parade around in front of us
admin@nmrdesign.co.uk
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 08:25 PMThey're closing the Hebburn campus.
Heinrich Scrotwengler von Grossteschattenburg
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 08:21 PMComment removed by moderator
bohemianblogger
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 08:11 PMApparently staff are being sacked but spending thousands on refurbishing the canteen? Strange way to fund a college to me.
gravestone123
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 08:01 PMCouldnt agree with you more Danicng Queen. Although I understand that the government is making huge cuts to Colleges across the country, I think the steps that the college are taking is disgraceful. I know two people who work there and they both dont know what is going to happen to their jobs, and if they do keep them they may end up having £11,000 less salary per year. I wonder how much the managment staff are on or if they have a pay cut at all. In fact how many managers and principles does it take to run a college. Funny thing is David Cammeron was on the news yesterday saying its the Schools and college responsibility to make sure young people leave with the skills they need to go in full-time jobs and university...what planet is he on....25% funding cuts, no EMA, Rise in university fees....is it just me or has he forgot all about this. Something has to be done to save out childrens future. I back the staff at the college all the way and its about time we all stood up and took notice of what is happening in this country!!!
gravestone123
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 07:58 PMCouldnt agree with you more Danicng Queen. Although I understand that the government is making huge cuts to College across the country, I think the steps that the college are taking is disgraceful. I know two people who work there and they both dont know what is going to happen to there jobs, and if they do keep them they may end up having £11,000 less salary per year. I wonder how much the managment staff are on or if they have a pay cut at all. In fact how many managers and principles doe sit take to run a college. Funny thing is David Cammeron was on the new yesterday saying its the Schoold and college responsibility to make sure young people leave with the skills they need to go in full-time jobs and university...what planet is he on....25% funding cuts, no EMA, Rise in university fees....is it just me or has he forgot all about this. Something has to be done to save out childrens future. I back the staff at the college all the way and its about time we all stood up and took notice of what is happening in this country!!!
DancingQueen
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 07:25 PMWhat a well informed, well researched comment from scallyally. “Mainly due to errors on the part of the lecturers...” where is your evidence to back up your statement. You obviously have no compassion, care little for the local community and are disinterested in the revival of the local economy. Ill judged comments like yours add little to the debate. What other business in the UK is currently experiencing redundancies AND a pay cut of 30% AND an increase in workload of 20%? Stick to the Daily Mail scallyally.
DancingQueen
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 07:14 PMWhat a well informed, well researched comment from scallyally. “Mainly due to errors on the part of the lecturers...” where is your evidence to back up your statement. You obviously have no compassion, care little for the local community and are disinterested in the revival of the local economy. Ill judged comments like yours add little to the debate. What other business in the UK is currently experiencing redundancies AND a pay cut of 30% AND an increase in workload of 20%? Stick to the Daily Mail scallyally.
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