Lambeth College’s long-running dispute over new staff contracts came to an end this evening after striking union members voted to return to work.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) unanimously agreed to call off an indefinite strike, which began on Monday, in a meeting at the college’s Clapham site.

Lecturers at the London college have taken part in a series of strikes since March last year, including an indefinite walkout in June which lasted for five weeks ending just before the summer holidays.

The row over contracts for new staff members, which UCU said would leave them with fewer holidays, less sick pay and longer working hours, also saw a series of escalating strike over the last two months, which culminated in the second indefinite walkout on Monday.

However, when the college offered to allow existing staff to change their hours without transferring to the new contract and made changes to the first year of sick pay, union members voted to accept and will return to work tomorrow.

UCU regional official Una O’Brien said: “UCU members at Lambeth have demonstrated their resolve throughout this long and at times bitter dispute. We are pleased that an acceptable resolution has been found and accepted by our members.

“We hope we can now restore good working relations with the college and get back to business as usual.”

Lecturers are expected to return to work tomorrow.

Lambeth principal Mark Silverman said: “The college has always been open to, and hopeful of achieving, a reasonable resolution to this dispute, and I welcome the end of strike action and return to work.

Mark Silverman
Mark Silverman

“This agreement brings an end to what has been a considerable distraction for our managers and staff, and I am pleased that we can now focus our time and effort on the important work of teaching and supporting our learners.

“We are very clear on the steps we need to take to improve the quality of our teaching and to assure our financial position as we build a high-quality sustainable college for south London.

“The terms and conditions in the ‘new’ contract, and the agreement we have reached today, support both of those objectives and I am pleased that we can now put the dispute behind us.

“My sincere thanks go to the staff who worked diligently throughout strike action to ensure that lessons and support for learners could continue.”

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7 Comments

  1. Voice of reason

    Thank goodness that common sense has prevailed. Long time coming for these striking teachers to wake up and smell the roses. You can now go and teach learners : for which the tax payer pays you.

    No more strikes now please, Heres a new slogan for Lambeth UCU ( instead of ‘ workers united should never be defeated) : ” we are paid to teach and improve the lives of others and will do this at all times”

    • Ian Ellis

      You really need to read your history, it is the right of every working man to withdraw his labour. Employers since the era of Margaret Thatcher have long since eroded the rights of workers. The Principal and other Corporate Board members of Colleges such as Lambeth languish in boardrooms drinking fine wines and awarding each other fat pay rises need to wake up and smell the coffee. It is the Lecturer, Trainer and support workers who suffer first. All this rhetoric from Mr Silverman cuts no ice with workers at the sharp end. His draconian measures are based solely on running the College as a business, his contract and associated pensions and golden parachute for failure are secure.