Ballot on industrial action at UAL

by Caroline Naharnowicz

UAL staff are to be balloted on industrial action after management refused to back down over course closures and redundancies at the London College of Communication.

The University and College Union (UCU) was demanding the re-opening of collective consultations, a review of course closure proposals, agreement upon a single redundancy policy and the removal of the threat of compulsory redundancies, according to Greg Barnett, regional official of the UCU.

These demands will not be negotiated by the college management, he stated, despite several attempts from the UCU which had “bent over backwards” to negotiate a settlement.

Best interest of the university

Sandra Kemp, the Head of college at LCC, is adamant that the re-structuring is in the best interest of the university and its students. In a statement issued today in response to the proposed industrial action, she said: “I am disappointed that UCU members are contemplating industrial action. This may regrettably lead to the disruption of student learning and access to facilities across the University. Such a course of action is in no-one’s interests, least of all students.”

Barnett told members of staff at a branch meeting on Wednesday: “They are clearly playing games with our negotiations and we are now going to move to an industrial ballot. A strong ‘yes’ vote will send a clear message to management. They will be waiting and watching this ballot, and they will be nervous.”

Possible industrial action

Members of staff will be receiving ballot papers in the post in roughly three weeks time, which could lead to industrial action.

Kulbir Basra, the UCU chair at LCC, said; “We expect that students who are on the courses that will be affected will be willing to support us through the industrial action, but I cannot speak for the students in other faculties.”

The UCU, along with Oppose LCC Course Redundancies Group, have both stated that the planned closures and job cuts have been decided without proper consultation.

The announcement that 16 courses are to be slashed from the School of Creative Enterprise, with a possible loss of 28 jobs, was in May 2009.

"Formal contact" 

In reaction to the ballot being announced, Nigel Carrington, Rector of University of the Arts London said: "Following last Wednesday’s meeting, we have not yet had any formal contact from UCU."