'Have a nice Easter' as Harlow College tells lecturers to work for £10,000 less

Staff were informed that on their return they will have to apply for their own positions with substantially inferior conditions of service and in some cases a massive drop in salary. The threat of dismissal is hanging over staff. Formal consultation will commence on 17 April.

Staff have issued a vote of no-confidence in the college principal Colin Hindmarch. UCU, which represents the college's lecturers, has asked for the college's governors to immediately intervene. UCU says managers at the college are attempting to impose a new contract which would divide staff and reduce future annual earnings for some lecturers by as much as £10,000. Whilst the college may argue that some lecturers will stand to gain a small salary increase, UCU says this will not cover the drastically inferior terms and conditions of service and additional workload.

According to the union:

• Formal notification has been received that 205 members of staff are now at risk of redundancy unless they re-apply for positions on substantially worse pay and conditions of employment.
• The proposal is to remunerate a large number of qualified teachers on the unqualified pay scale which has a pay ceiling more than £10,000 pounds below that of lecturers.
• All teaching staff could be instructed to teach a maximum of 10 hours on a week day and 6 hours on a Saturday. Some staff may have an even longer day. Evening work without the consent of the individual will be expected rather than being on the odd occasion.
• Teaching staff will suffer an increase in the length of the working week, substantial cuts in holiday entitlement and much more insecure employment rights.

UCU regional official Liz Martins said: 'Staff are devastated by the conduct of the college. Many have told me how divisive and immoral they think it is to expect people who have worked together as equals to now be treated so inequitably. And how can anyone on the dramatically reduced salaries pay their mortgages?

'What pours even more salt on the wound, is that there are now more non teaching managers on campus than ever before and some of them got around a £10,000 pay raise with their new appointments. This has been at the expense of the staff who actually deliver teaching to the students at Harlow College.'

'Staff have not been consulted in any meaningful way prior to releasing this draconian model. The legions of hourly paid staff, who serve the college so well, hardly get a mention in the issued document. There is a whole range of innovative teaching on campus and good practice that suits the wide range of skills being taught. But staff are being told that if they hold any alternative views then they are against the teaching and learning strategy and at risk of being down graded or dismissed. This is an intolerable way to treat highly experienced professionals. Some staff are now telling me that they would not consider sending their children to the college.

'It is not too late to salvage the situation but governors will need to intervene as a matter of urgency. If not, I am afraid Harlow, once known for its good employment record and excellent service, will rapidly develop a reputation of working in a bullying and intimidating environment, with low pay and factory-style education.'