Chichester College Group staff announce further strike action

It comes after seven days of strike action was taken in October over a cost of living pay increase, action to tackle what the union has described as ‘excessive workloads’ and to ‘ensure professional respect’.

The nine additional dates are currently scheduled to take place on November 24, 25, 28, 29, 30 then December 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6th. These nine consecutive days over three weeks will see further widespread disruption. Action last month saw whole departments closed with students given independent study tasks and students’ having been advised by the college to continue to attend being turned away upon arrival.

Chichester College has been approached for comment.

Branch chair of Chichester College Group UCU, Philip Wilson-Marks, said: “These further dates, agreed to by members, shows the level of determination that staff have in ensuring that pay at the very least stays still. With RPI inflation at 12 per cent the college is currently telling staff to take almost a ten per cent cut in real terms pay. This is on top of a third of the value of our wages being lost over the past ten years as pay has continued to fail to keep up with inflation over that time. We simply can’t afford, in a cost-of living crisis, to absorb yet another significant loss of earnings.”

Talks with Chichester College Group management are continuing, and it is hoped that a resolution can be found in time to avert strike action.

However, the Union has confirmed that balloting will now begin at Northbrook and Brighton MET, what was GBMet before the merger with Chichester College Group back in August 2022. Members of the National Education Union have also recently secured the backing of their members to ballot for industrial action at the college groups campuses in Haywards Heath and Worthing.

Philip Wilson-Marks continued, “It is looking ever more likely that coordinated action may be taken from the New Year across what was CCG & GBMet and by staff at Worthing and Haywards Heath campuses. We are at a crossroads, and we hope to work to find a resolution to avoid this escalation and disruption.”