Redundancies hit CSM, Camberwell might be next

by Sheena Avcu and Maddalena Dottori

A new wave of redundancies across the University of the Arts London (UAL) has been announced, with dozens of posts at Central Saint Martins (CSM) joining those already announced to be cut at London College of Communication (LCC).

UAL management have admitted they will extend the period of redundancy from 12 to 18 months and plans to make more than 100 people redundant during that period.

A UAL spokesperson told Arts London News: “As a result of proposals concerning Research Administration and Management across the university, a number of colleagues at CSM have been issued with letters indicating their posts are at risk of redundancy.”

Camberwell College of Arts is also in line to be hit by job cuts, the University and College Union (UCU) announced.

'National concern'

In an article in the South London Press, Greg Barnett, regional officer of the UCU, warned that as a result of a proposal to cut courses, staff at Camberwell would face losing their jobs.

Barnett confirmed: “It’s a rolling project of restructuring. It hasn’t reached Camberwell yet, but it will.”

Asked whether the claims made by the UCU were true, dean of Camberwell college, Natalie Brett, said: "The funding for universities within the UK is a matter of national concern.

"University of the Arts London is not in a position to comment on any further drives for efficiency savings until we are informed of our grant for 2010/11."

She continued: "Only then can we begin to consider our resources against our grant allocation and the number of students enrolling on our courses.

"Should there subsequently be a need to make savings in light of a reduced funding package from the government we will respond to this issue collectively as Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon (CCW).

"Also within CCW and its development we have already gone through a major restructure at senior management level and with the development of the graduate school."

The UCU promised before Christmas that if UAL management did not agree to their demands - which included a “withdrawal of compulsory redundancy notices, as well as a call to halt course closures and agree a new redundancies procedure policy,” and re-enter into negotiations - then the union will make plans for a ballot of UCU members across the six colleges of UAL. 

The ballot is due to take place in the summer term following two cross-college meetings last term and could result in staff going on strike throughout UAL's colleges.

No choice

The UAL spokesperson said: “Unfortunately two of the demands - a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and a reversal of course closure proposals - cannot be met.

“We have provided a revised proposal on a third demand concerning redundancy procedure arrangements and we are awaiting further discussions with the joint trade unions on this matter.”

The UCU ballot is however still planned and with their demands not being met, the union members could still vote to take industrial action.

The UCU say that such action is not something that they wanted to take as it results in losing pay, as well as causing a disruption to teaching but it was felt there was no other option.

They stated: “This is how far the management have pushed us with their failure to respond to our reasonable demands.”

In a recent UCU newsletter it identified that: “Management issued another S188 document, listing over 200 of your colleagues as being 'at risk'."

The newsletter also underlined how "over 200 AL [Associate Lecturers] have been listed as ‘at risk’, alongside 63 salaried staff” at the London College of Communication. 

The S188 or Section 188 document is a legal form that has to be issued when more than 20 people are to be made redundant.

The university spokesperson confirmed: “There have been two recent sets of proposals issued under Section 188 which identified a further 57 salaried posts as at risk.

"In respect of ALs, some of the proposed changes may have an impact on the hours available for 2010/11 but, to date, no formal decisions have been taken in respect of this.”

Everyone 'at risk'

The UCU commented in its newsletter that: “Under this UAL management it seems everyone and everything is ‘at risk’ all of the time.” 

Meanwhile, the University of Leeds UCU has also held a ballot over industrial action; its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of both strike action and action short of strike.

In addition, No Cuts at Kings [College London] Campaign and London Education Activists Network are hosting a teach-in called ‘Take Back Education’ to build the campaign of resistance against Higher Education and Further Education cuts.

This will be taking place on February 27 at Kings College London.