Telford staff vote for strike action in bid to save jobs

Student Maxine Bradley promotes Telford Festival, which aims to showcase the talents of the college's learners at Capital venues from May 12 to 16 June

Up to 70 jobs are under threat as college bosses look to save 1.8 million in the next year following a reduction in government funding.

The college is also planning to cut courses in a variety of areas, including plumbing, languages, veterinary science and welding.

Around 300 staff and students gathered outside the office of Telford's principal, Miles Dibsdall, earlier this week to protest. The EIS union is considering taking strike action over the plans if it is the only way to protect jobs.

The union is accusing Mr Dibsdall of "retracting" his promise that job losses would only happen as a result of the first year of government cuts and not in the following two years.

Mike Cowley, convener of the EIS-Fela branch at Telford College, said over 90 per cent of votes cast by members were in favour of industrial action. He believes the college could use its 7m reserves to protect jobs.

He said: "We have asked for them to tap into their reserves which are one of the biggest in Scotland, which they have refused to do. At the very beginning of this process, the principal said in front of all support and lecturing staff there would be job cuts for this year, but he promised that there would not be any redundancies in the second and third years of the cuts. That's now been retracted." Stevenson and Jewel & Esk colleges, which have also been hit hard by funding cuts, recently announced plans to merge. Telford did not want to be a part of the new "super college".

Penny Gower, EIS-Fela president, described the situation at Telford as "educational vandalism" and said industrial action will be carried out "sooner rather than later".

She said: "The college has enough in its reserves to ride this out for ten years without making a single cut in jobs or courses. Nobody wants to go on strike but we will if that's the only thing that can save jobs and courses."

College principal Miles Dibsdall said: "We have repeatedly stated our position - specifically to the unions - that we wish to avoid compulsory redundancy where possible.

"I have always been upfront and honest about how the government's cuts would impact on the college, which meant telling staff that we could not make any promises on no compulsory redundancies.

"We are still in the consultation period, which means no decision has been reached, but we are doing everything in our power to save our staff.

"I do sympathise hugely with the position of the staff and the unions, and we remain positive that we will find the best solutions for the future."