New Guidelines on College Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures

The six trades unions representing members in English FE collges have reached agreement with the Association of Colleges on guidelines for updated local grievance and disciplinary procedures. These take account of new arrangements for dealing with grievances and disciplinary problems following repeal of the statutory dispute procedures.

David Green, AMiE Director of Employment Services said, “These new guidelines  give us a workable framework for resolving individual problems in local colleges. “

Copies of the new agreements, together with the recently agreed guidelines for regulating working time,  can be downloaded from the AMiE website.

ATL Comment on Pre-budget Report

Commenting on the Chancellor’s pre-budget report, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of AMiE partner the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“Overall this is a good pre-budget report.  There are a lot of measures we like.  However, some measures may be highly damaging to public services and education.

“We are deeply unhappy about capping all public sector pay at one per cent for two years because it is too blunt a measure, and will affect the majority on low salaries as much as the few who are highly paid, and is far too long when even the government is forecasting inflation will be three per cent in two years time.

“Instead of funding internships for unemployed undergraduates the money would be better spent on retraining courses.

“It seems perverse to allow bankers to be untaxed on bonuses of up to £25,000 when everyone else is fully taxed on their £25,000 salary including first year teachers.

“We support guarantees for all 16 and 17 year olds to be in education or training by 2010.

“We are pleased the Government has sensibly cut the amount of time for under 24s to be unemployed to six months before being guaranteed work or training.”

2.3% Rise Offered To Welsh Colleges

Fforwm, the organisation representing FE colleges in Wales has tabled a 2.3% pay rise for 2009-10 in response to the joint union claim. However, because the organisation says they have no mandate to negotiate on national terms and conditions, the offer has for now at least, been rejected by the joint union side while they seek a form of words from Fforwm that would allow both sides to discuss, in a positive manner, what model terms and conditions could look like in the sector.

A commitment to negotiate national terms and conditions is something the joint unions have been seeking for some time but so far, without success. However, the Welsh Assembly Government appears to be positive about talks regarding national conditions of service so political pressure may yet bring about a solution. With this in mind the joint unions are seeking a meeting with the minister, John Griffiths.

AMiE Wales Officer, Brian Thornton said, “The pay offer is welcome, but with discussions on national conditions of service promised by Fforwm following the Webb report; and with support for this from the minister, we need to make progress on this issue as well. The school sector has the protection of national conditions of service – we seek parity with this sector.”

Fforwm have conducted their own research on conditions of service across Wales and the unions have asked them to share the results. Brian added, “With the transformation agenda underway there are a number of advantages to having common terms and conditions, not least when colleges merge.”

Five Unions Accept Pay Offer For English Colleges

All the English NJF unions other than UCU have now accepted the Association of Colleges (AoC) final offer of a 1.5% pay increase from 1 August. UCU delegates attending a special conference to consider the offer said that it fell short of the pay award given to school teachers and so could not be accepted. They will now ballot members on taking industrial action.

The AoC have subsequently advised colleges of the position and in a briefing to principals say that this is their final recommendation. It remains to be seen whether colleges now implement the award or whether they await the outcome of the UCU ballot.

The unions accepting the offer are ACM, ATL, Unison, Unite and GMB.

Demand Led Learning Is Sleight Of Hand

Delegates to next weeks Trades Union Congress being held in Liverpool will be told that the concept of  demand led learning is government sleight of hand. AMiE partner ACM will argue that demand for learning is not the same as need for learning, and that for those who are disadvantaged and lack skills, public subsidy is necessary to turn need into demand.

The congress will be urged to call on government to give colleges the flexibility and discretion to respond to local needs.

Tom Wilson, the recently appointed director of the TUC’s UnionLearn, previews the congress on FENews.co.uk.

Tragedy If A-Levels Are Unrewarded

It will be tragic if today’s A-level results are unrewarded by a place in higher education or a job, says Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of AMiE partner union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Mary Bousted said: “Today should be about congratulating students and teachers on their outstanding results, not belittling their achievements by criticising A-level standards.

“The rise in the number of students taking maths, physics and chemistry shows how ridiculous is the debate about so-called hard and soft subjects.

“It will be little short of a tragedy if all the hard work by this year’s students is unrewarded by a place in higher education or a job. It seems particularly cruel to raise expectations and then dash them by failing to provide enough places in higher education for UK students. The Government will need to do more to support those who don’t manage to get a university place this year.

“The Government also needs to work with schools and teachers, plus the careers service to provide help, advice and guidance for those who did not get the results they wanted so they can make the best choices for their future and have the chance to rethink their careers or resit their exams.

“Today’s results, however, do not hide the problems with our exam-based education system which is obsessed with passing tests to the detriment of learning skills. Too many students leave school or college with their heads stuffed with promptly forgotten facts, instead of leaving with the skills they need for higher education or work, and for successful lives. And many others are lost to education, bored and demotivated by endless testing.

“After today we need to have a proper debate about what we want our education system to do – whether it is just to cherry-pick the brightest students for the top universities or to provide a rounded education which prepares young people for life in 21st century Britain.”

Big Jump In College Manager Redundancy Levels

The number of AMiE members asking for help because they are at risk of redundancy has jumped significantly in the last few weeks.

Some 40% of all calls to the AMiE helpline from college managers since the beginning of June have been about redundancy problems compared to 30% for the academic year as a whole.

The rise is not in itself that unusual – many FE colleges reorganise their staffing structures at this time of year – but the big concern is that job losses will continue well into the autumn.

AMiE general secretary Peter Pendle said, “No one seems to think we will see a reduction in job losses any time soon. Uncertainties about funding together with the current economic climate are conspiring against us. When colleges reopen in the autumn we expect a further round of restructuring and more college mergers. The impact on our members jobs will be serious.”

MPs Condemn College Funding Scheme

MPs have condemned the Learning and Skills Council’s college building scheme in England. This follows the announcement earlier this month that just 13 projects would be allowed to proceed.

Both the LSC and the government are criticised in a report by the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee which deals with further education.

Committee chairman Phil Willis MP, is quoted as saying: “It really beggars belief that such an excellent programme which had showed real success in transforming the further education experience for students was mismanaged into virtual extinction.”

For more on this story, please see the BBC News website.

Reacting to the MPs’ report, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of AMiE partner union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said,

“Further education, its staff and students, are suffering because of the total fiasco over the capital building programme.  This was a text-book example of how not to run a funding programme.  Both the Learning and Skills Council and the Government have to take the blame for this and learn from their mistakes.

“The Committee’s report supports our view that the structures set up to deliver post 16 education are ill thought through and too complex.  Contrary to what was proposed in the 2005 Foster Review the Government has been treating FE colleges like any other commercial, market driven business.  They are being used as ‘skills warehouses’ to educate those over 16.

“The current mess highlights the dangers of splitting education provision between more than one government department.”

School Teachers: 2.3% Rise Confirmed

Commenting on yesterday’s  announcement from the School Teachers Review Body (STRB)  on pay for teachers, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of our AMiE partner, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“We are glad that common sense has prevailed and Ed Balls has accepted the STRB’s view that teacher should get a 2.3% pay rise in 2009 and in 2010, as initially recommended in January 2008.

“We are pleased Ed Balls has honoured the pay commitment he made to ATL members at our annual conference in April, and not bowed to pressure to use teachers’ pay as a political football.

“ATL will continue to fight for teachers to be rewarded fairly, not only during a recession but also when the economy picks up and graduates have a far greater choice of careers.”

Two Out Of Five Teachers Have Suffered Stress

More than two out of five teachers have suffered from stress-related illnesses, according to a new poll reported by the Workplace Law Network and carried out by Teachers TV – the digital channel for those working in education.

The findings will come as little surprise for those working in the sector. In 2007 ACM’s own survey of members into working time and related issues found that one in eight members had been diagnosed by a doctor as suffering from work related stress within the 12 month period before the survey was undertaken. In addition, four out of five reported their jobs as placing high demands in respect of workloads and targets (one of the HSE’s primary sources of stress).