The meeting came after months of disputes between staff and management at City and Islington College

PARENTS and teachers say they are “alarmed” by a sixth-form college’s plan to plough ahead with cuts and a restructure, despite the looming threat of strikes.

NEU representatives spoke at a public meeting last week, with parents voicing worries that the plans will turn the college into an “impersonal qualification factory”.

Attendees warned that course relocations, library service reductions, and an exodus of experienced teachers would damage students’ ability to learn.

The meeting comes after months of disputes between staff and management at City and Islington College, part of the Capital City College group.

The disagreements centre on both pay for teachers and the plans for a restructure which could see several members of staff lose their jobs.

There have already been cuts to mental health counsellors and library staff, said Mike Govender, who has taught at the college for 16 years.

He added: “It’s a levelling down, no doubt about it. From September, anyone joining the sixth form will be on further education terms and conditions, which is lower pay and different holidays.”

At the moment, sixth-form college teachers and further education teachers receive different levels of pay, as they are negotiated by separate unions.

Teachers have also been told that they will not be given the nationally-agreed pay rise, making them the only sixth-form college in the country to remain on a lower salary.

NEU members claim that it would cost just over £30,000 to give all teachers at City and Islington college the pay award for this year.

Meanwhile, CEO Angela Joyce earns a salary well into six figures according to annual accounts.

Union members further pointed out that Capital City College has recently signed a contract which could see them spend up to £1.8million on legal services over the next three years.

Mr Govender said: “How can we be engaging in a restructure that ends up cutting jobs, but at the same time investing legally to ensure we are set up to win tribunal cases? It suggests that they are prioritising a legal approach to deal with the unions, rather than focusing on creating harmony within the group”.

NEU members are now set to ballot for further industrial action.

Mr Govender added: “If we are successful, then unfortunately we will be on strike in mid-September. Hopefully between now and then we can get to some arrangement.”

The Tribune asked Ms Joyce for an interview this week, but were instead given a quote via the press office. It said: “We believe in inclusivity and equality for our colleagues, and in a climate of funding pressures, we must make decisions that serve the interests of all our staff and students.

“The decisions made around pay at our campuses come from attempts to address pay inequities created by the government’s decision to not fund annual pay awards for non-academised sixth-form colleges and further education colleges like us.

“We chose not to create a further imbalance within our own institution and awarded the same annual pay award to all staff across the group. All annual pay awards must be affordable, now and in the future, in a climate of cuts and cost pressures.”

“There are no planned cuts to courses and there has been no mass resignation of teachers. The choice to strike is a teacher’s right. But I would ask that those aiming for strike action consider the potential impact of their plans, for it is our students who will face the reality of a classroom without a teacher.

“As eligible staff at our sixth form campus have received annual increments and a pay rise this past January, it seems unnecessary to ballot for strike action at this time.”