The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Teachers’ vote of noconfidence in Perth College management
Members of a leading teachers’ union have voted unanimously to back a vote of no-confidence in senior management at crisis-hit Perth College.
The college announced last week an estimated 21 people will be made redundant as the establishment deals with a £600,000 budget shortfall.
EIS-FELA, Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, held the vote yesterday at a branch meeting, asking members to vote on a motion of no-confidence in college bosses over the current financial plight facing the institution.
The motion read: “This branch believes that the current precarious financial position of Perth College is down to mismanagement and that senior management are ultimately responsible for this.
“Senior management have not communicated with EIS FELA or Unison through the appropriate mechanisms, or attempted to address the situation until it has reached a position where member’s jobs are at risk.”
The vote will now be communicated by branch officials to the board of management at Perth College and to senior management.
A EIS-FELA spokesperson said: “A unanimous vote like this indicates the strength of feeling of the membership and the branch and officials look forward to a timely response addressing these concerns and providing solutions that do not jeopardise members’ jobs.”
The union has previously accused college bosses of leaving staff and students “in the dark” about the financial situation at the college.
Following the vote, a spokesperson for Perth College UHI said: “While we are of course disappointed that EIS-FELA members voted this way, this action will not resolve the financial and operational issues we are facing.
“The Perth College UHI board of management and senior management team are working to ensure the long-term sustainability of the institution and we remain committed to working collaboratively with our unions, employee representatives and external stakeholders through this consultation process which seeks to minimise potential job losses and support staff affected.”