Hard-up college may axe 30 workers

9:37am Tuesday 19th February 2008

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THIRTY teachers who work at a cash-strapped York college are facing the axe.

Earlier this month The Press reported how seven teachers at Askham Bryan College, York, were facing compulsory redundancies because of cost cuts needed by education bosses to make up for a £500,000 deficit in college funds.

Now ten full-time teachers and 20 support staff are facing redundancy. The cuts are hoped to save £250,000 on support staff and £250,000 on college staff in the next academic year. This means cuts right across the college including in the agriculture, horticulture, animal management, engineering, rural and community, and equine departments.

One teacher from the college, who did not want to be named, said: "The job cuts will affect the staffing and effectiveness of the college very severely and already there are signs of stress and anxiety from the staff.

"Those who are saved now face a new required contact time for lectures of 24 hours per week. To some, this will almost double the workload, which on current salaries could mean lecturers working for close to minimum wage considering the preparation time and marking time which now will be in their own time.

"College staffs are very despondent at this time, as you would expect."

Liz Philip, principal at the college, said: "We are reviewing our work methods and organisational structure to ensure we respond effectively to Government priorities and to reduce a £500k deficit.

"As part of this process, an independent benchmarking exercise was carried out, and this identified some over-resourcing.

"As a result, we are identifying sources of additional income and looking at where costs can be reduced. This means we have to make some redundancies."

Mrs Philip said she fully acknowledged that it had been a difficult time for staff at the college.

"I am very grateful for the co-operation and positive support which I have received from staff," she said. "The exercise is still ongoing and is taking place through full consultation with staff and trade unions. We have taken all possible steps to minimise the adverse effects for those concerned."

The Askham Bryan branch of the University And College Union (UCU) has now begun campaigning to save jobs at the college. A union spokesman said: "A notice of redundancies was sent to staff two weeks before the Christmas holidays and this did not give enough time for meaningful consultation.

"We believe the way the college is carrying out the redundancy procedure is not in accordance with the law.

"At an early stage, the principal should have sought ways of reducing the number of compulsory redundancies by identifying staff at risk and then seeking volunteers for redundancy or finding alternative employment for them."