Created on: 03 May 2023 | Last modified: 09 Nov 2023
Local EIS-FELA representatives met this morning with members of City of Glasgow College senior management to be told that the college workforce will be reduced by up to 100 through the use of compulsory redundancies.
The Principal, Paul Little, who found time to travel to Tartan Week in New York last month, was not present and has never met with union reps about the proposed job cuts.
City of Glasgow's senior management informed the EIS-FELA representatives that today is the beginning of a (minimum) 45 days' consultation period on compulsory redundancies.
Also confirmed at the meeting is that the College’s Board of Management has not seen the detail of the business case, yet has agreed a "direction of travel" that includes up to 100 individual members of staff losing their jobs. The majority of these are teaching posts.
Senior management stated that the Board has not been told of, nor have they asked to see, the workforce strategy which sits alongside these short-term proposals. As such, those governing the college appear not to have oversight of how the educational provision for students at City of Glasgow College will be affected by these cuts.
An EIS-FELA rep said, "We were given no prior sight of what college management have stated is a substantial business case behind the proposals to make up to 100 staff redundant. It is ridiculous that trade union representatives are supposed to be in a legal consultation process when we have not even seen the detail of this proposed restructure.
"This morning's meeting was wholly inadequate as a consultation activity. We do not believe there is a genuine need for these redundancies nor that a genuine consultation process has yet been planned, let alone opened. Even the flimsy details that have been provided, relating to the selection criteria and the proposal of the basic statutory redundancy payment for affected staff, are completely unacceptable.
"Whilst we are appalled that the Scottish Government has clawed back the promised additional £26 million funding to the FE sector, on top of a flat rate funding cash cut, City of Glasgow College has also made many financial decisions that have caused money to be diverted from the main purpose of the College: to provide further education for the people of Glasgow.
"We are wholly opposed to all public sector funding cuts and within Further Education, job losses, cuts to courses and cuts to learning provision risk widening inequality and the poverty related attainment gap. Meanwhile, there is money being extracted from this College that is not directly related to teaching and learning within Further Education in Glasgow.
"Instead, public sector funds are being re-routed towards commercial interests and for the benefit of individuals other than students and lecturers. The people of Glasgow expect better from a public sector institution."
EIS-FELA has confirmed that they are seeking legal advice as industrial action at City of Glasgow College ramps up next week with specific, targeted, actions including lecturers refusing to cover for staffing cuts that have already been made.