Fighting fund banner

 

Shock redundancies announced at Cleveland College of Art and Design

20 June 2016

Members of UCU at Cleveland College of Art and Design have expressed shock after the college announced that it will make a number of compulsory redundancies.

The specialist arts college, based in Middlesbrough, is inviting staff to meetings from today (Monday) where they will find out what will happen to their jobs as part of a "compulsory redundancy exercise" involving 10 staff.

Staff will be invited to apply for a new post, and will have until Thursday (23 June) to submit an expression of interest or face being made compulsorily redundant. UCU has condemned the three-day notice period for staff to consider their options as "totally inadequate".

The union has also criticised the college's handling of the announcement, saying it has failed to consult properly or follow its own agreed redundancy procedures. UCU has called for the college to reconsider its approach and undertake a proper consultation with the union.

UCU regional support official, Jon Bryan, said: 'Staff are shocked at the way these redundancies have been announced, which is clearly outside the college's own agreed procedures. The proposed three-day period for people to decide on their future at the college is totally inadequate.

'Stating from the outset that there will be compulsory redundancies implies that the college has already made up its mind and there is no intention for meaningful consultation. This is simply not acceptable - consultation rather than compulsion is a statutory right.

'We have written to the college asking for proper consultation and urge them to reconsider their approach.'

Last updated: 22 June 2016

Comments