Overwhelming vote of no confidence in Truro & Penwith College principal over job cuts

In a ballot organised by UCU and its sister campus unions, over nine in ten UCU members (95.6%) said they have no confidence in Truro and Penwith's principal Martin Tucker and the senior management team to manage the finances of the college. In addition to the vote of no confidence around three quarters (73.6%) of UCU members said they would be prepared to take strike action in order to prevent compulsory redundancies. Under Tucker's watch, the college has seen an alarming slide of surpluses, resulting in an eyewatering deficit budget of £4.2 million in 2024/2025, just short of 10% of annual turnover, despite higher student numbers. 

Staff are furious at the axing of up to 100 jobs as part of a drastic programme of cuts due to management's incompetence. The unions, staff and students fear these moves will have a destructive impact on the range of curriculum provision and employment opportunities in Cornwall. The threatened cuts are the largest taking place in the whole of the South West. Academic staff will be the cohort hardest hit if they go through. This is despite a recent Ofsted report (December 2024) that says: 'Students on education programmes for young people are taught ambitious curriculums that equip them very well with the skills, knowledge, and resilience needed for their next steps'.

Senior management has approved more tiers of management in recent years, with huge salaries, whose jobs have been protected in this proposal.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Management needs to listen to the strong arguments presented to them and commit to working with staff, students, and other college unions to build a more sustainable organisation for all, rather than tearing down the bedrock of the institution by making essential teaching staff compulsorily redundant.

'If college management is serious about making the college financially stable, UCU urges it to stop releasing fait accompli measures at the 11th hour under the badge of "consultation", rethink the proposals, and begin negotiating meaningfully to protect jobs and keep vital, frontline teaching and academic staff'.