MORE than 500 people have signed a petition as part of the latest plan to fight cuts to courses at Evesham College. Support has been garnered from Councillor Robin Lunn, leader of the Labour Group on Worcestershire County Council, with residents vehement in their opposition set to meet in conjunction with petition organisers University College Union (UCU) via Microsoft Teams tonight (Tuesday, 6pm). Warwickshire College Group (WCG) announced in December plans to close Malvern Hills College and shift across students to Evesham. Hair and beauty, engineering, construction, motor vehicle and digital courses will run from Evesham but access to higher education – courses designed to prepare adults to progress to the next level of education, including university study – and supported learning is set to be transferred to Pershore seven miles away.
UK further and higher education staff suffer attacks on pay and conditions
Educators throughout the further education sector who have been returning to schools since the beginning of March are facing pay cuts, job losses and increased workloads as employers attempt to place the economic burden of the pandemic on the working class.
University staff and students on strike in defence of their pay, conditions and pensions at University College London in 2019 (credit: WSWS media)
Several strikes have erupted or are breaking out, indicating the determination of workers to defend their conditions. However, they are opposed in this by the unions, chief among them the University and College Union (UCU), which is isolating and shutting down every trace of opposition by staff. The unions are continuing the role they have played since the start of the pandemic suppressing industrial action in the name of “national unity” and allowing big business and the Conservative government to intensi