LECTURERS at Bolton College are to ballot for strike action in the New Year over plans to slash staff costs by at least one third.

Unions leaders claim bosses are making them scapegoats for the college's recent financial difficulties which saw finances plunge over £1 million into the red.

But lecturers' union NATFE blame senior staff for the cash troubles and say lecturers should not be made to pay the price of balancing the books.

In a recent union survey, 98pc of NATFE members returned a vote of no confidence in senior management's ability to run the college effectively.

The union claim college chiefs are preparing to cut staff costs to 65pc of current levels by taking on an army of cheaper sub-lecturers to take over some of the lecturers' work.

Quality

Officials say lecturing staff have already been earmarked for redundancy because of the policy which they claim could hit the quality of education.

A union representative said: "We are told they are not teaching but they are already taking classes of students alone.

"This policy of creating a compulsory redundancy situation will inevitably lead to sub-standard education and training.

"It has already created a situation where the morale and industrial relations in the college are at an all time low."

NATFE members have voted in favour of a strike ballot which is expected to take place after Christmas.

College principal Terry Hogan said NATFE had not communicated their concerns to him personally and he was not prepared to comment on them unless they were put in writing.

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