UCU slams call for tuition fees rise

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, responded to an article in the Guardian from Simon Jenkins that called for a rise in a tuition fees and greater university privatisation. Hunt described the proposal as ‘yet another slap in the face for people who believe in a free and inclusive education sector’. She went on to say that ‘increasing fees or the other financial barriers that so many students and parents come up against when considering university is certainly not the way to deliver a world-class university system.’ Read Simon Jenkins’ article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/11/university-funding-fees-mandelson. To read Sally’s response, click here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/15/letters-universities-tuition-fees

FE funding – Sign the online petition

A reminder to members to sign the joint union’s online petition against cuts to FE and adult education funding. As we run up to the next general election it is vital that we raise the profile of the crucial role that further and adult education play in our communities and the national economy. Now is not the time to be putting the infrastructure of FE, both human and capital, at risk with funding cuts.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: SIGN NOW – Let’s send a clear message to all parties that education is vital for our economy and our communities. Click here to sign: http://www.ucu.org.uk/nofundingcuts

FE ‘IOU’: Strike at Askham Bryan College as management torpedo pay talks

Angry members at Askham Bryan College were left with no choice but to take strike action this Tuesday as talks to implement the 2004 pay agreement at the Agricultural college broke down when management introduced a longer pay scale and a series of barriers to progression. Members at the college are particularly furious as management narrowly avoided strike action earlier this year with an 11th hour commitment to implement the improved pay scales. Now, their manoeuvres have forced members into strike action and the college is firmly back in the union's sights. For more on this story and pictures from the picket lines, click here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/iou. For the press release and local coverage, click here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3943 and here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8102483.stm

Leeds College of Art Strike press coverage

ITV Calander News



BBC Look North
Apologies for the poor sound quality

Strike Press coverage

Press coverage of our Strike has been excellent. There have been radio interviews with Richard Miles (Branch Secretary) on BBC Radio Leeds and Radio Aire; TV coverage on BBC Look North & an interview with Christian Lloyd (Branch Chair) on Yorkshire ITV's Calendar; web coverage through the BBC online and Indymedia, and press releases and photos going to the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Evening Post. In addition to this visitor numbers to this blog continue to increase.

Staff strike at Leeds College of Art and Design in pay row

Leeds College of Art and Design was brought to a standstill today in a row over its failure to honour a pay deal agreed over four years ago. Classes were cancelled as the college is being targeted for action by members of the University and College Union (UCU).

In 2003/4, a two-year national agreement was drawn up that heralded pay parity for college lecturers with schoolteachers. Thousands of further education lecturers had been unable to reach the higher pay levels enjoyed by schoolteachers, 50% of whom get extra allowances worth between £2,364 and £11,557 per annum on top of their basic earnings. The deal introduced shorter new scales that provided higher salaries for new lecturers and faster progression to the top points. The union has described the failure by colleges still to honour the deal as one of the longest IOUs from management to staff in the history of industrial relations.

Picket lines were held outside the college’s two main sites on Blenheim Walk and Vernon Street from 8am. Support was also shown by UCU members from Barnsley College, Leeds University, Bradford College, Thomas Danby & Leeds College of Technology supporting their colleagues.

Richard Miles, who teaches at the college and is a UCU member, said: “We regret having to taken this action, but we think it’s unfair that our pay is being kept down. It’s only fair that we are paid the same as staff at other colleges and we call upon the college to implement the 2004 deal. The college is already experiencing a high turnover of staff because of the pay and conditions offered by management, and we can’t afford to lose any more of our best people.”

UCU head of further education, Barry Lovejoy, said: “It’s a real shame that things have come to this. The staff are not greedy; they are merely asking for the money they should have been paid four years ago. It is the intransigence of the college that has pushed members' patience too far and forced them into industrial action. Members at Leeds are getting second-class pay for first-class teaching.”

BBC: College staff strike over pay row

College lecturers in Leeds are holding a one-day strike over pay
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8092785.stm

Letter From Regional Office To LCAD Managment

Dear Simone

Offer to Open Pay Negotiations

I am the Regional Official for the University and College Union in Yorkshire and Humberside. First of all can I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as Principal of Leeds College of Art and Design and also express my desire to establish a meaningful and productive relationship between ourselves and the institutions we represent.

Barry Lovejoy wrote to you on 2nd June informing you of the industrial action ballot result and the impending one day strike timetabled to take place on 10th June. The local branch officers and I would like to meet with you as a matter of urgency to discuss and progress the issue of moving staff to the AOC national pay spine.

I have seen the e-mail you sent to all staff on 3rd June and have noted your recognition of the hard work and dedication staff have shown and continue to show towards the college and its students. You have stated that this is something that you value and appreciate. These are very worthy sentiments and I am sure colleagues appreciate this. However, staff now want to see this appreciation to be shown in the colleges pay system. It is clear from the e-mail that there are many major differences between the national Harmonised Pay Scale and LCAD payscale. You will be aware that employees at the college are paid considerably less than colleagues at other colleges in the region.

Your e-mail also mentioned, banding and a pay differential of £8,355 at the top of the scale. It is clearly therefore misleading to imply that the college has already implemented the harmonised pay scale.

UCU are opposed to hard restrictions being placed on the pay spine that link pay progression to additional responsibilities. The 8 Point Pay Scale for the career family “Teaching and Training” when agreed in 2004 has no restrictions placed upon it and is designed to remunerate qualified main grade lecturers.

If there are genuine financial issues that are affecting the implementation of the national pay spine we would wish to discuss them. However it should be noted that we believe the college is in good financial health and that the implementation of the 2004 pay deal is well overdue.

It is not too late to prevent industrial action. As already stated local Branch Officers and I would welcome a commitment from you to begin “meaningful consultation”. If you could provide a formal written proposal regarding how to resolve this outstanding issue this would be most welcome.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Julie Kelley
Regional Official

All staff should get the principals' pay rise!

couldn't agree more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/02/further-education-pay-negotiations

Message of Support from Barnsley

Heartfelt thanks to all who show solidarity with our struggle.

'Hi Colleagues

On behalf of Barnsley College UCU I would like to congratulate your members on their resounding vote in favour of action for pay justice. It is absolutely disgraceful that some colleges have refused to honour a deal we fought for and balloted nationally in favour to accept after so many years.

You have the full support of Barnsley College members – we will try to get a delegation to your picket line and we invite a representative to come and speak to our UCU branch as we are meeting in the afternoon of Wed. 10^th.

Thanks

Dave Gibson (UCU sec Barnsley College)'

YES for stike action

The Ballot papers for the IOU - No more teaching on the cheap campaign have been returned, signaling a support for strike action at Leeds College of Art & Design.

The campaign focuses on the college's commitment to fully sign up to the 2004 Harmonised Pay Scale, which has left staff stuck on fixed salary points, with no annual movement up that spine in some form or other.

Edmund Wigan has just retired from the College as Principal, it is now in the hands of his replacement, Simone Goodwill, to decide whether to single an intention to genuinely 'value staff' at the college and honour the 2004 agreement or continue with the same rhetoric and practice of devaluing staff's contributions.