Lecturers vote for industrial action

Lecturers say their contracted hours should cover other duties

Lecturers at Norwich City College have voted to take industrial action over their working conditions.

Adrienne Punt, branch secretary of the lecturers' union NATFHE, said enforced increases in teaching hours and less time for course administration puts too much strain on lecturers.

Dick Palmer, the college principal, told BBC Radio Norfolk he is just asking lecturers to fulfil their teaching contracts.

Mr Palmer said: "Although the college has a contractual relationship with all of our full-time teaching staff to teach 800 hours a year, in fact, people weren't doing that, which meant that staff weren't teaching their full complement.

"All I'm asking them to do is to teach their full complement."

'Extra stress' on staff

But Ms Punt said lecturers' time is scarce.

She said: "Teachers are teaching long hours, they're working at weekends, they're working during their vacation breaks.

"Now those duties which used to be given some sort of time allowance to perform - that time has been taken away - and the reality is, that is going to place extra stress on the staff.

"It will affect the smooth running of courses, and therefore the quality of education that we can offer to the local community."

The lecturers will be working to rule and will refuse to do extra duties and attend meetings.

Mr Palmer said: "It's a small minority of staff who are involved, so we will talk to the unions, and we will continue to consult with them and try to get an agreement over this."