Anger at college plans for job cuts
A union representing Perth lecturers has claimed it has been “left in the dark” after an announcement that college jobs are to be slashed to cover a £600,000 financial black hole.
Cash-strapped Perth College UHI is expecting to cut up to 21 jobs in an effort to scramble savings to cover the financial gap for the 2019/20 college budget.
College bosses are undertaking consultation talks with staff and trade unions over the need to achieve the savings “to continue the long term financial sustainability of the college”.
The latest blow to staff comes after three of the institution’s learning centres in Crieff, Blairgowrie and Kinross were shut in July due to financial difficulties.
College principal Dr Margaret Cook said: “While the college has stable recruitment, absorbing the additional operating costs has become extremely challenging and we need to identify ways of reducing our costs going forward.
“We are estimating up to 21 redundancies as we expect to redeploy as many staff within the organisation as possible to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies.
“The Auditor General report, while reflecting the financial challenges facing the sector, also identified the college having the third highest student satisfaction rate in Scotland at 96.2 per cent, with 85.2 per cent of our students achieving positive destinations.
“We are engaging with a range of stakeholders on this, and have invited Pete Wishart and MSP’s for discussions on this matter.
“We will endeavour to achieve this with the least possible impact on our students and staff.”
However, the Perth College branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland - Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) has lamented the “crisis situation” and claims no prior warning or reasons for the deficit were given.
A spokesperson for the branch said: “The
EIS-FELA membership at Perth College feels great sadness that we are in this financial position.
“Our members have been working under greater financial restrictions over the previous years, doing more for less and fail to see how management have let the organisation reach this crisis situation, threatening the livelihoods of the staff.
“Management must have known, for some time, about the precarious financial situation and have only acted at the last minute, keeping staff, students and stakeholders in the dark. We feel that we have been left in the dark with regards to the reasons for this deficit.
“At two previous joint negotiating committee (JNC) meetings none of this information has been forthcoming.
“We would like an explanation of how we came to be in this situation and some clarification on how we can make £600,000 worth of savings, without impacting on the student experience. EIS-FELA expect management to exhaust all possible cost savings before making staff redundant. EISFELA hopes management will actively engage in any consultation process and keep staff and unions informed of their progress.”
Commenting, Pete Wishart MP said: “I am looking forward to meeting with Dr Margaret Cook as soon as possible to discuss the serious financial situation at Perth College.
“The situation at the college is seriously concerning and could have huge implications for the staff and student body.
“Perth College is one of the Perthshire’s largest employers and we need to be satisfied that this is being addressed as a priority.
“This financial crisis has already led to the closures of the three rural learning centres, depriving communities of this important learning resource. We need a full explanation from senior management as to why the college has been allowed to get into this precarious financial position and we need to know how long they have been aware of this.
“At my meeting with management I will be seeking to ensure that there is a clear recovery plan to get the college out of this perilous situation.”