Leicester college Lecturers strike  Feb 2004

Leicester College strike: Management forced to negotiating table

Background to the strike

Leic College Strike: Management forced to negotiating table

In the fourth week of strike action by Leicester college lecturers, the management have been forced to the negotiating table. After refusing to consider talks until after the strikers called off their action there has been a climb-down by the college, and at the time of writing discussions are going ahead while the strike holds firm.

A NATFHE national official spoke at the strike meeting yesterday and explained he had been in discussion with the principal. However, he tried to sell a deal which was seen by the strikers as not good enough. In fact after he had spoken an anonymous voice from the back of the room shouted “bollocks” which seemed to sum up the response of many of the strikers.

After debate the meeting decided that they would continue with strike action. The national official then rang the principal and told her that the lecturers would not buy it. She then conceded further talks, but this time involving local NATFHE officers.

This climb-down belies the propaganda put out by the management that everything is under control and that 90% of lectures are being covered. The sort of cover this is shown by the fact A level Psychology classes are been taken by the head of Hairdressing!

Support has been extensive from other unions. A rally of hundreds took place yesterday lunchtime including banners from AMICUS, AUT, other NATFHE branches and Leicester University Socialist Students.

The strike has been bitter, but there are now signs that management are under pressure and the union could win a victory against bullying management that could send a message out to workers everywhere.
 

Strike goes on against bullying management- report 11 Feb

Large numbers of Leicester College Lecturers turned up at the gates of one of the campuses on 10 Feb for a mass “binning” of their contracts. They are continuing their indefinite strike action against a new imposed contract which would worsen their conditions of service including the loss of four days holidays and more Saturday working.
NATFHE Branch secretary, Kate Drew, said: “We went to a meeting at ACAS on Monday. However, the management demanded we call off the strike before they would talk. They made a statement which made it clear that they wouldn’t even talk about the issue we wanted – the contract itself. We rejected that and are continuing with the strike.
“It is not just about the contract. It was the last straw, we have had enough of bullying management and being pushed around”
The strikers collected over £1,000 in donations for the strike fund in the first week of the dispute, but still need more donations and messages of support.
NATFHE Leicester College Strike Fund. NATFHE Birmingham Office 2nd Floor, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT email siobhan.logan1@ntlworld.com     www.natfhebranches.org.uk/leicester_coll

On strike to defend conditions and union rights:

On the picket line at St Margaret's campus. Photo: Leicester Socialist Party

Lecturers at Leicester College are out on indefinite strike. The FE College is imposing new contracts that cut holidays, push through Saturday working and worsen conditions of service.
Lecturer’s union NATFHE, sees it as an attack on union rights because the changes were not negotiated with them. The college say it is “voluntary” but it will be imposed on all new posts and anyone who changes jobs within the college.
On the picket line at the St Margaret’s site Tony Wightman, NATFHE member said: “We are not asking for anything other than what we agreed when we accepted our positions. We signed a contract with the college and they want to tear it up”.
Kate Drew NATFHE Branch secretary said: “They are introducing a non-negotiated contract. We tried to negotiate but they would not shift from a position of worsening our conditions. They want to remove 4 days of holiday entitlement, bring in unlimited Saturday working and take out the protection on the number of hours we teach.
“The response has been incredible. The college was claiming that all lessons were ‘covered’ but classes are cancelled and those students who have turned up are leaving again. We have even had students standing alongside pickets, with placards supporting the strike.
Management have over- reacted: telling us to take placards off the premises; putting security all over the place. Highly paid managers are out on every door to greet students when they arrive!
Management representatives complained that there were too many pickets, saying there should only be six and threatened to call the police.
“We have had to fight the college to get pay owing to part timers for up to 3 months yet they could offer a bribe of a £1,800 one off payment to staff who signed the new contract before Xmas! It is not worth losing holidays and worsening conditions for life in return for a one off payment.”

Many students signed the petition in support
Photo: Leicester Socialist Party

Arum a student on an English as a second language course was on the at the Abbey Meadows site picket line with a number of fellow students: “If the lecturers don’t oppose these things there will be more attacks in the future. We want to support the lecturers because they support us”
Strike committee member Siobhan Logan said: “Support is already coming in from other unions. We visited the PCS picket lines to support them and they are supporting us in return. The FBU phoned us to ask what they could do. The postal workers refused to cross the picket lines and just turned around. We have circulated trades unions with collection sheets.”
Messages of support and donations would be appreciated and can be sent to NATFHE Leicester College Strike Fund. NATFHE Birmingham Office 2nd Floor, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT

email siobhan.logan1@ntlworld.com
Leic College NATFHE website has strike news:
www.natfhebranches.org.uk/leicester_coll

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