Strike rally against job losses at Chesterfield College, photo Asif Ali

Strike rally against job losses at Chesterfield College, photo Asif Ali   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Chesterfield College lecturers strike against redundancies

Lecturers at Chesterfield College were supported by students in their one-day strike against compulsory redundancies. College management want to sack 70 staff. 90 jobs have already gone in recent years.

Many pickets, members of the University and College Union, covered every gate. A sit down in the road blocked college buses.

Later in the Market Place lecturers were warmly supported by passing shoppers. A group of students held placards they had made supporting their lecturers and one spoke at the rally.

Pickets told the Socialist that the college planned to replace experienced lecturers in subjects like hairdressing and painting and decorating with low-paid ‘vocational coaches’ and assessors, whose only qualification would be having completed the course that they were then expected to teach.

Strike rally against job losses at Chesterfield College , photo by Asif Ali

Strike rally against job losses at Chesterfield College , photo by Asif Ali   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Permanent lecturers would also be replaced by hourly-paid staff, with no holiday pay, sickness pay or pension contributions.

Students would not get support from committed staff that they get now. Most work over and above their contracted hours to make sure students get through their exams. “It’s our education that’s being threatened”, said students.

Further strike action is planned.

Jon Dale

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 10 June 2013 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.