On the picket line at Barnfield College in Luton 2 October 2012, photo Steve Glennon

On the picket line at Barnfield College in Luton 2 October 2012, photo Steve Glennon   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

On 2 October, lecturers at Barnfield college in Luton were on strike against an ‘unlimited hours’ contract.

The college already sponsors academies and free schools and now the principal is apparently keen to change it into a profit-making institution. The plan is to increase annual hours and cut the number of staff to deliver them.

Steve Glennon spoke to Shane Hall, regional support officer for UCU, on the picket line.

“The strike is going very well, we have more people out than we expected. We have pickets on ten gates at three campuses.

“The threat of the principal’s plan to create 30,000 extra teacher hours, which would result in redundancies, stirred staff into action.

“All staff were sent a letter yesterday saying they had one week to sign the new contract or they will be deemed to have terminated their contract.

“The principal, who is the darling of the Tories, will also have the right to change the contract at any time without consultation.

“We are fighting for the college to return to the negotiating table. An increase from 21 hours to 26 hours is not workable, it could even be 35 hours.”

  • Staff at K College in Kent are due to strike for half a day on 8 October, against cuts. The UCU and NUT teaching union members will be protesting outside a governors’ meeting in Tonbridge against threats to 110 full-time teaching and support workers’ posts.