A meeting to say: Salford College matters!
On Monday 10th August Salford public, teachers, Socialist Party activists and youth workers gathered at a meeting to discuss the proposed 57 job losses at Salford City College and a call to have a wider public consultation on the matter. The meeting was chaired by Socialist Party member and president of Salford Trades Council Steven North and attended by Labour’s Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, NUT representative Paul Rossington and a student from the college, Adam Cachia.
The proposed job losses are part of a wider Business Transformation Plan that the college feels is justified given the increased financial pressure on further education due to Tory government cuts. These cuts were announced as part of a streamlining measure which replaces teachers and mentors with an e-learning system.
Over the summer Socialist Party activists have run campaign stalls to engage with the public and show solidarity with the teachers and students who will be directly impacted by the cuts. During this period we have leafleted against the newly introduced £20 admission fee and the £20 transport fee that the college has introduced for its students. The Socialist Party says that this additional financial burden is unjustified and will continue to campaign against it; as well we support the fight against the cuts and we support industrial action if a decision for it is democratically reached.
Widespread concern
Rebecca Long-Bailey shared her concerns on the impact the proposed changes will have on the future job prospects of local youth, stipulated that at best the e-learning system should be “no more than an add-on service” and echoed the call for wider consultation. Paul Rossington expressed grave concern at the “de-skilling of teachers” and the negative impact this will have on the profession as a whole.
This narrative ran through the centre of the debate on the night with attendees at the meeting all sharing their dismay and aggravation at the proposed cuts. Eric Thorpe, Socialist Party member and retired youth councillor, voiced his fears at the reduction of one-to-one support the teachers and mentors provide; especially for learners from challenging backgrounds.
Paul Rossington said that Salford City College is “generally seen as the best Further Education College in Greater Manchester” – additionally it is the only facility of its kind to provide the education provisions that are required in the local area. In June a consultation was arranged between Unison and senior management at the college and it was agreed that the proposed cuts to staffing would be halted until the staff return to the college in September.
Steve North proposed that a period of three months is needed to accommodate a wider public consultation. This will allow for the public and union to make a counter-proposal and seek clarification on whether the college’s £12 million reserves and the money raised from the sale of its Walkden site could be used to prevent job losses. Attendees at the meeting unanimously voted in favour of halting the proposed action by the college. Breakdowns in negotiations and the unwillingness of the college management to reach agreement with the unions, teachers and wider community will inevitably lead to industrial action in the autumn.
