Lecturers will ballot for industrial action

The staff at Deeside College in Flintshire are also threatening industrial action over plans to make seven non-teaching staff redundant.

The unanimous no confidence vote was made against the college principal, vice principal and human resources director.

"This announcement has come like a bolt from the blue," said Kevin Brown, branch secretary of the teaching union NATHFE, which represents Deeside lecturers.

However, college managers say they have been forced to make cutbacks because of national funding constraints.

"Management should be in no doubt that if they implement compulsory redundancies NATFHE will ballot for industrial action," added Mr Brown.

We are looking at a very small number of staff who will be affected Wil Edmunds, Deeside Principal

He said colleagues have condemned the college's failure to consult seriously over the redundancy proposals.

All seven members of staff work in quality and staff development providing support to lecturing staff.

Mr Brown said a recent inspection extensively praised their work and value to the college.

Workloads

"The staff concerned have a wealth of experience and expertise that the college can ill afford to lose given recent inspection reports," he added.

"Management seems to think that lecturers will pick up the work previously done by these staff members.

"Our workloads are already unreasonable; we simply cannot and will not take on the extra duties."

Union officials have put forward several alternatives to college management with a view to saving the jobs.

However, Wil Edmund, the college principal, said with 800 people working at the institute, seven redundancies was a small number.

"Whilst it is unfortunate that the college has to consider redundancies, we are looking at a very small number of staff who will be affected."