Lambeth College staff to strike: GPTU sends suppport

Lambeth College staff to strike tomorrow in contracts row

from UCU website 31 March 2014

Members of the UCU at Lambeth College will be on strike tomorrow (Tuesday) in a row over proposed changes to terms and conditions.

The strike comes after a massive 95% of staff who voted backed the call for industrial action at the south London college.

The dispute centres on the college's desire to change the contracts of new staff. Under the proposals new staff would see their workloads increase, but their sick pay and holidays cut. UCU said the changes would leave some Lambeth staff working longer hours than all but three of London's 38 further education colleges.

UCU had hoped a resolution to the dispute could be found before the strike. However, it added that the strong mandate for strike action demonstrated just how bad things had got at the college.

The union warned that a system where staff had different contracts, hours and benefits would do little to enhance morale. It added that there were fears the college would seek to impose the new contracts on existing staff in the future.

UCU regional official, Una O'Brien, said: 'There is deep anger over these proposed changes which will mean workloads will increase but sick pay and holidays will be cut. Different staff will have different contracts, hours and benefits and that will do little to enhance morale.

'The management of the college needs to work with us to ensure the college is fit for purpose. Downgrading staff terms and conditions is not the way to do that.'

• Vicky Wilks
  press@ucu.org.uk
  Tel:020 7756 2601
  Fax:020 7756 2501
• GPTU sends it's solidarity to Lambeth College UCU strikers. Green Party Trade Union group Secretary Peter Murry writes; "As an ex FE lecturer and member of the UCU Retired (London) Branch, I know that Further Education can often seem like the 'forgotten' sector of education and it is all to easy in a climate of austerity for yet more attacks to be mounted on FE Lecturers' pay and conditions inspite of the fact that FE plays a vital role benefitting society as a whole. I therefore send support to theLambeth College UCU strikers on behalf of GPTU."