Strike off as union claims major victory at City College Birmingham

The union said today that is was delighted with a victory that it put down to strong collective action by UCU members and the skill and diligence its negotiators to secure the promise of no compulsory redundancies. However, the union warned that further disruptions at City College Birmingham could not be ruled out and that it viewed the victory as winning the first battle.

The dispute with the college now moves into a second phase surrounding the college's plans to introduce new contracts, which could see an increase in working hours. The union warned today that attempts to impose any changes to working conditions without the agreement of the members would result in further industrial action. The college was hit by industrial action last month when UCU members took a day's strike action on Tuesday 16 June.

UCU regional official, Nick Varney, said: 'We are proud of the action taken by UCU members and the hard work from the union's officers in securing no compulsory job losses. However, we now fight on to secure decent working practices for teachers and to ensure that the college delivers high quality education for the communities we serve.'