Strike vote threat over job losses at college

COLLEGE staff are threatening to ballot for strike action over redundancies at Coleg y Cymoedd, the further education college covering Caerphilly county and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Members of the University College Union (UCU) say they are campaigning against two redundancies at the 9,000-student college due at the end of July.

The UCU, which has 335 members at the college, said it plans to ballot for strike action from 6 July unless management withdraw the threat to jobs.

There have been no compulsory redundancies in any further education FE college in Wales for more than eight years and UCU members say they “will not stand by and allow Coleg y Cymoedd to be the first college in Wales to make compulsory redundancies”.

The UCU said a number of staff have also been approached with offers of voluntary redundancy and the two jobs at risk of compulsory redundancy are in the college’s hair and beauty department.

The Coleg y Cymoedd UCU branch said in a statement: “We are campaigning against redundancies due at the end of July and plan to ballot for strike action from July 6 unless management withdraw the threat to jobs.”

Phil Markham, UCU Wales support official, said if a strike was held it would be at the start of the new academic year which begins with enrolment at the college at the end of August.

He blamed lack of funding for job cuts.

“The college struggles for funding every year. It’s to do with funding.

“We can’t just stand by and see two people made compulsorily redundant this year. We have a strong policy of opposition to compulsory job losses.”

The college said it could not confirm numbers of possible job losses.

Judith Evans, Principal at Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “The college is currently having conversations with a small number of staff regarding the possible restructuring of localised aspects of our provisions, with the aim of retaining as many positions as possible.

“At this moment in time, while these conversations are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment any further until a decision has been made.”

Courses offered by the college include A levels, BTECs, NVQs, apprenticeships and higher education courses.

Coleg y Cymoedd has 5,200 fulltime and 4,415 part-time learners.