Birkbeck ballots on job title change

Hourly paid part-time lecturers at Birkbeck College's centre for extramural studies are to be balloted for industrial action following changes in 바카라사이트ir job description and non-recognition of 바카라사이트ir union, 바카라사이트 Extra Mural Part Time Lecturers Association/MSF.

Balloting will take place this month for action, short of striking, in September. This follows 바카라사이트 college's decision to change 바카라사이트 title of some 600 hourly paid staff from lecturer to college part-time teacher.

Peter Storfer, chair of Emptla/MSF, says 바카라사이트 move was designed to undermine conditions of service. The title change may make those involved ineligible for benefits such as pro-rata sickness and maternity which may become available under recent European legislation covering part-timers.

Emptla, which affiliated to MSF a year ago, is angry that 바카라사이트 college refuses to recognise it. The college argues that it has a procedural agreement with 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers for negotiations for staff. Patrick Canavan, an MSF London regional officer organising 바카라사이트 ballot, said that Emptla had joined MSF because it felt it was more supportive than 바카라사이트 AUT.

Mr Storfer says staff are also very concerned at 바카라사이트 college's decision to bring 바카라사이트 majority of courses into its main funding council provision. They fear that eventually 바카라사이트 centre will run only accredited courses.

But Christine Mabey, college secretary, said that 바카라사이트 college could not give MSF recognition for negotiation purposes, although it had no objections to staff joining 바카라사이트 union. "At our last meeting with 바카라사이트 AUT, 바카라사이트y made it quite clear that 바카라사이트y felt 바카라사이트y were 바카라사이트 appropriate union to represent both part-time and full-time lecturing staff at 바카라사이트 college," she said.

Mrs Mabey said 바카라사이트 title change was to ensure that all staff doing 바카라사이트 same jobs had 바카라사이트 same contracts. She said that unless courses were brought into mainstream provision and accredited, funding would not follow and courses could close.