Haringey News
Redundancy warning over College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London funding cuts
1:37pm Tuesday 14th February 2012
A teaching union has warned of redundancies after a college’s funding for the next year was cut by £3.7 million – almost a tenth of its Government grant.
The University and College Union (UCU) reacted angrily after adult learning courses at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London were hit by a £2.2m Government funding cut, with a £1.5m cut in courses for young people expected.
The college, which has campuses in Tottenham High Road and Hertford Road, Enfield, warned that temporary staff would fill vacant posts but that it was “too early” to talk about the impact on jobs.
Last year, compulsory redundancies prompted by further cuts were narrowly avoided after union members warned they would strike and more than 40 staff left voluntarily – but English for speakers of other languages courses were slashed to part-time, with only four hours a week of study.
Acting branch secretary of UCU, Lizette D’Cruz, said: “If last year many members of our teaching staff left through voluntary redundancy, what will this year bring? Compulsory redundancies?
“Our members are doing a great job as teachers and support staff in an already difficult climate in an area hit by last summer’s riots.
“We believe that the Government is wrong to cut our funding at a time when people need to re-train or need to go back into education while the jobs market is in a state of disarray.”
There are around 1,000 teaching and support staff in total at the college's two campuses, and last year lecturers suggested the college prevent compulsory redundancies by cutting management pay and the use of consultants, as well as dipping into the budgetary reserves to lessen the impact of cuts.
The college’s last financial statement in July last year showed that funding body grants totalled nearly £41m of its income.
In a statement, it said: “The college is currently planning how to implement the funding reductions for next year. “It is still too early to see what the impact will be on jobs. Any posts that now become vacant will be reviewed and where appropriate be filled by temporary staff.”