Industrial action ballot at Richmond College

Lecturers at Richmond College in West London are set to ballot for industrial action over job cuts.

The decision follows a vote of no confidence—by 179 to one—in the principal, David Ansell, last week.

The workers, in the UCU union, are fighting plans to scrap 50 jobs and replace them with lower paid positions, and to make up to 15 redundancies.

They say this would mean a worse education for students.

Lecturers struck for half a day in May against job cuts.

David Carrier, chair of the UCU branch, said, “We were promised we would spend the year negotiating changes. Instead he [the principal] has just driven them through.

“He has ignored virtually every alternative presented.

“People are very angry and very upset.”