Lecturers mount campaign against college redundancies

A survey of lecturers has opened in response to the prospect and the local branch of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) is currently engaged with the college management over proposals to reduce the workforce, with compulsory redundancies one of several proposals made by the management side as part of a cuts agenda.

The local EIS-FELA branch has opened a survey for members’ views on the current situation at the college and their willingness to be balloted for industrial action, if necessary.

The branch reserves the right to proceed to a consultative ballot for industrial action, against compulsory redundancies, if it is deemed required in the coming weeks and months.

A spokesperson from the EIS-FELA branch said: “We have seen significant further reduction in the funding to the college from the Scottish Government recently and this has had a detrimental effect on how we do business.

"Our union takes the threat of compulsory redundancies extremely seriously and are committed to negotiating with management to avoid such a scenario.”

“There have been significant challenges and both the college management and unions are working collaboratively to resolve these issues. However, we are prepared to ballot our members for industrial action, if necessary, in defence of jobs and quality learning in the communities that Dundee & Angus College serves.

"We know that our members have significant concerns regarding the direction that management are taking, and this survey will allow us to gauge their views on the challenges we face. We urge college management to take the threat of compulsory redundancies off the table without delay. To not do so will leave our branch with no option but to open a consultative ballot for industrial action to protect jobs and protect quality learning”.