Strike-hit Lambeth College was expected to be heading into week two of industrial action with staff having walked out in a row over contracts for new staff.

The indefinite strike action by members of the University and College Union (UCU) began on Tuesday (June 3), and was set to head into its second week at the time of going to press, with picket lines forming every morning at the college’s sites in Brixton, Clapham and Vauxhall.

Talks between governors and the staff threatening to strike did nothing to avert the industrial action sparked by the introduction of new contracts for new staff, which the union said would leave them with longer hours, fewer holidays and less sick pay.

Lambeth College principal Mark Silverman said: “Governors met with staff who are UCU members but it doesn’t seem to have had an effect.”

He added: “Our door is open for discussions.”

However, UCU regional official Una O’Brien said: “We want to negotiate with the college and get this dispute sorted out. Unfortunately the college is refusing to do so.

“The college made no effort to engage with our members on the key issue of the dispute [at the meeting].lambeth-table-e105

“We have offered to suspend our action to allow negotiations to happen if the college will suspend the new contracts.”

The two sides disagree on how much disruption the strikes have caused, with the college claiming “it’s business as usual” while the UCU claim around 180 staff members had been on strike.

The union has also shown FE Week documents, which it claims are the college’s own contingency plans, showing that at least 25 classes had been cancelled on the second and third day of the strike alone.

The new contracts, which will affect all staff starting at the college from April 1, 2014, offer 50 days a year annual leave — 10 days less than that given to existing staff.

Mr Silverman said the contract change was part of the college’s recovery plan following financial deficits of £4.1m in 2012/13 and £3.5m in 2013/14.

He added that the contract changes were “in line with sector norms”.

However, a UCU spokesperson said: “The changes would leave new starters at the colleges working longer hours than all but three of London’s 38 further education colleges.”

Main pic: UCU members at Lambeth College on indefinite strike

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10 Comments

  1. With the differences in stories it is difficult to understand the true picture. However as a lecturer in FE at another college (not in London), I cannot condone this action. 50 days for holiday is 20% more than I receive and I honesty believe my allowance is very generous. However if it is true that the college has lost £7m in two years, no business can sustain that in the long term. If these losses are not due to one off transactions but due to operational trading then these changes are inevitable. For me the issue is the cuts in funding which no college and certainly no union action can change. If the college could afford to operate as it is (clearly not) then I am sure they wouldn’t need to do this, it is not out of spite but out of survival that these changes have been proposed – in my opinion anyway.

    • I totally agree, I work in London at a college and these terms are very generous and do not affect existing staff from my reading. I think it is despicable that these teachers would walk out on their learners at any time of year.

  2. david kaandi

    I agree with Adam. We all need to work acceot striking does not help in anyway. stop this action and find a way to put the students first, afterall, is that not why we chose to teach in the first place.

  3. As a teacher at Lambeth College, I completely disagree with the above posts. The main issue for me is not the cut in holidays (which is a cut of 10 days from the current 52 to 42 – the other 8 are bank/public holidays) but the increase in teaching hours. We currently teach 23 hours per week with no remission for course tutorship and no tutorial time built in, which is already out of line with other colleges. The college has increased this to 24 hours as standard plus an hour of cover per week. Over a year, this is an increase in 72 contact hours from 828 to 900. This is the equivalent of 3 weeks extra teaching per year. So, combined with the loss of 2 weeks holiday, this equals 5 weeks extra work per year for no extra pay. On top of this, we haven’t had a pay rise for 5 years. But the crux of the matter for me is this – with 2 hours more lessons to prepare for per week and 2 hours less to do existing duties, how can we continue to provide a good standard of learning for our students? Even now I have to do lots of extra preparation and marking in evenings and at weekends to deliver the good standard of lessons that my learners deserve. I have gone on strike to defend the quality of education in my sector, in order to provide a good service to learners in the long term.

    • david kaandi

      I think it is a matter of accepting the changes and challenges facing everyone in sector. Although, I agree with your right to strike, I really do not believe it will affect any real outcome. From what I know, the new contract is for staff starting on or after 1st April. I may be wrong in assuming that you are not a new member of staff. Therefore, if the college has offered you an assurance that you will not be affected, I fail to see why you continue to strike.

      The harsh reality is that there are a plethora of providers mainly from the private sector who will see your striking as an opportunity and ‘steal away’ potential new students. less students = less funding = less jobs.

      it would be best to work with each other and not against, as we have more than enough parties interested in doing away with FE Colleges as a whole.

  4. I feel the teachers on strike should be utterly ashamed of themselves. To go on strike in response to being given 50 days holiday (including statutory holiday) when the private sector is often around 20 days is appalling. It is galling to think my taxes are spent on these people who disregard the impact on students. Clearly this boil has to be lanced and well done to the Principal for being brave enough and indeed principled enough to tackle this situation.

  5. Jeanette

    compared to colleges in the north that is still in line with most colleges in the north. Teaches where I work have a contract of 850 hours and have to cover at least 3 hours a week on top of that, holidays are 42 days a year.around the country teaching staff are sadly being made redundant due to the cuts in funding and I believe that many teaches have acted with grace over the difficulties FE colleges face. Students do come first.

  6. I appreciate the time you have spent sharing your rational. However for me the question is does it matter? I spend break times, lunches, afternoons with learners – not because I’m timetabled, but because I see the potential in the person and they’ve never been encouraged. Isn’t this what teaching is about?

    I note your number crunching, what you have is one additional timetabled hour and potentially an extra hour for cover – a potential maximum of 25 hours. I’m pleased to see the many comments that support my attitude, and over the past academic year I must have had on average, 30 hours per week (23 timetabled), and this has delivered a phenomenal grade profile of 100% high grades (100% D* @ L3 actually – but who’s bragging ☺ ) – something which I am proud of! I have proved to so many young learners, some of whom have QCA scores in the mid thirties that with hard work – they can succeed! Isn’t this a quality education? Isn’t this a good service?

    You then claim you work evenings and weekends, which professional occupation doesn’t require additional hours?

    I’ve briefly looked at your last two Ofsted inspections, and not only has the college haemorrhaged 728 learners from 2009 to 2012, but that equates to just short of £3,000,000 in your bread and butter income! On closer inspection the college was graded a 4 in outcome for learners. I understand your Principal was appointed soon after in 2012 and under his guidance the college has made ‘reasonable progress’ in this area. One saying which may be suitable for here is “If you stand still you get left behind” – I wonder if the change has anything to do with this strike?

    You then end by saying you have gone on strike to defend the quality of education in my sector, in order to provide a good service to learners in the long term. You may provide an outstanding learning experience, and I hope you do for your learners, but parents read Ofsted reports and when there is a 4 sitting beside outcome for learners, I would look elsewhere for a provider. If I was a learner I would be thinking if I enrol at this college I might not have a teacher before my exams next year!

    I completely and whole-heartily agree that FE is having its funding cut too much, but I do not agree with your approach. As a sector we need to lobby government for change – in my opinion we need organisations like the AoC championing this cause. Our income is determined (to an extent) by Westminster but the Ofsted Report and your actions are further damaging your employer. You are picking the right fight, but not the right opponent.

    • Adam- I work at the college and am not striking. You are spot on with your comments. 90 teachers are out, and the picket line is at one of the three centres-Clapham, and very thin on the ground- two people this morning for example. Lecturers have been spoiling for some sort of fight for a long time and this has given them ammunition. Many have worked at the college for years and have become frankly institutionalised. There is a great deal of anger around the necessary pressure and difficulty of trying to turn around a poorly performing college and the introduction of some good vocational courses rather than A levels which had not been successful for many years and not popular enough. The fact that UCU appear proud at closing down provision (ESOL, ALS, Learner Support) for our most vulnerable learners says it all. For the rest of us, we are covering for these lecturers, marking work and trying to get students through. It is really good to have some support from colleagues at other colleges. Thank you for all the positive comments!

  7. Doug Robertson

    If you think it’s worth going on strike and losing pay over having to do one extra hour a week class contact, then by all means go ahead, but why go on strike when most students are no longer attending, at the end of the summer term, when it makes little difference to anyone? You complain that you will have only 50 days a year holiday, but that is 10 weeks a year, much more than other people get. You complain that you will have 25 hours a week class contact including an hours’ cover-but that is normal or even less than normal for school teachers and for many FE teachers.I think you will be able to negotiate over the reduced sick pay, but as so few people will be affected by the change it’s questionable whether it’s a matter for strike action.