Chichester College union staff vote unanimously to move to formal ballot over strike action

This ballot would have passed the legal requirement to pass the threshold of 50 per cent turnout.

The decision comes as the Chichester College Group announce plans to cut staff numbers in the English and Maths departments at the Chichester and Brinsbury sites.

A spokesperson for Chichester College UCU said, “This vote, yet again, demonstrates the strength of feeling that staff have - not only the need to defend these jobs, but also to defend the outstanding quality of education that our students receive which a cut by third of face-to-face teaching as proposed would jeopardise.”

It comes just hours after former shadow chancellor John McDonnell gave his public support to the campaign to save Maths and English teachers from redundancies.

In a short video message he said: “I’m sending you my 100 per cent support and solidarity for the campaign you are waging to protect the jobs of those who teach Maths and English.”

The union said the college’s current proposals would see face-to-face teaching cut by a third, with larger class sizes and a permanent move to independent, online self-study which staff and in a recent article, Ofsted stated would not give students the best opportunity to successfully achieve vital Maths and English, qualifications which often determine life chances.

The spokesperson for UCU continued to say, “The vote gives us the mandate to move forward to ballot for strike action and action short of strike in the coming weeks with action likely to take place if the result is repeated to take place shortly afterwards. We urge to College to see sense, to compromise and to avert action.”