Pickets were up and ready to start at 7.00a.m. at Darlington College as UCU members showed the strength of feeling about attacks to pay and pensions. Around 100 members took strike action and a quarter of those turned up on the picket lines to show to others why we were taking action. Those who came on the picket line were visited by two members of the union’s national executive – Kathy Taylor (Vice-President) and John McCormack (NEC-FE). “A great turnout by the branch and pickets were well organised, in good spirits but in a determined mood”, said Kathy Taylor.
The branch at Darlington College have had some successes recently and this was reflected in the good support for the action. During last summer and at the start of this academic year UCU and its members fought hard to ensure jobs were protected: 1. REDUNDANCIES – No enforced job losses as a result of hard union negotiations with the support of members. 2. Inadequate classrooms and class sizes too big for workshops – A vote of no confidence in the college management voted for by the membership and worked to a conclusion by your officials resulting in a much improved situation and working conditions. 3. RESTRUCTURING OF WBL – Following long and hard negations by both UCU & UNISON and our members, a positive outcome was reached with no compulsory redundancies.
Kathy Taylor said “It was good to visit a branch where the support for the union is strong and where there is clear evidence that acting collectively and with determination has brought results for members of our union.”
