| Lambeth CollegeUCU members are today beginning indefinite strike action at Lambeth College. The dispute centres on the college’s introduction of contracts for new staff joining after 1 April 2014 which leaves them with bigger workloads, less sick pay and fewer holidays. We believe the changes will see new joiners working longer hours than all but three of London’s 38 further education colleges. Indefinite strike action is a very serious step and not one that has been taken lightly. Members originally backed strike action back in March in a ballot on a turnout of 70% – a figure that would have delighted any politician scratching around to convince a third of their constituents to vote in last week’s elections. Lambeth College UCU members took one day’s action at the start of April and, with the employers unwilling to budge, planned to begin their indefinite action from 1 May. However, the college used anti-union laws to take UCU to court and force an injunction that permitted only another day’s strike action. Therefore we walked out in another one-day strike on Thursday 1 May and went back to ballot to ask if members were prepared to take indefinite strike action. Again nine out of ten members said yes, but on an even bigger turnout this time. Union ballots must stick to a set antiquated rules that do not encourage a great turnout, yet the appetite to defend staff conditions at Lambeth can be in no doubt. In truth, the large turnout was probably helped by the college’s decision to go through the courts to stop us taking action we voted for to defend working conditions at the college. Lambeth College would have been better off using the time and resources to try and resolve the dispute than postpone damaging strike action. Nobody wants to be on strike, but staff at the college will walk out next week and not return to work until this increasingly bitter dispute is resolved. UCU members at Lambeth have the full backing of the national union and are prepared to see this one through. It’s time for the college to understand the depth of feeling of UCU members and come back to the negotiating table. - See more at: http://union-news.co.uk/2014/06/indefinite-strike-action-serious-step-ucu-members-lambeth-going-good/#sthash.2jeqa1Lg.dpuf |