Hull College teaching staff go on strike
It's the first of three walkouts over planned job cuts.
Last updated 9th May 2018
Teaching staff at Hull College have walked out today over plans to cut more than 200 jobs.
It's the first of three one-day strikes by members of the University and College Union (UCU).
They'll be picketing outside the Queen's Gardens campus in Hull throughout the day.
It's over proposals to cut 231 full-time equivalent posts across the college group’s three campuses in Hull, Goole and Harrogate.
UCU says it would lead to around a third of the workforce being cut and fewer learning opportunities for local people.
But the college insist the job cuts are part of a much-needed restructure to help them take back control of their finances and secure the college's long term future.
A further two days of strike action are planned for Thursday 17 and Friday 18 May.
UCU regional official, Julie Kelley, said: "Strike action is always a last resort, but staff at the Hull College Group feel they have been left with no alternative in order to defend jobs and educational opportunities.
"The proposed job cuts will be deeply damaging for current students and for the future availability of education for local people. To avoid further unnecessary disruption to students, the college needs to call an urgent halt to these proposals and work with UCU to explore better alternatives."
Hull College Group have released the following statement:
"We recognise the union’s right to strike, however, this will not affect the result of the consultation, which was part of a five-year recovery plan.
"This plan is being implemented by a new management team appointed last summer with a clear mandate to resolve pre-existing difficulties.
"It is also a condition of funding secured to resolve a number of previous significant operational and financial issues and cannot be halted."