LIPA Sixth Form College staff say 'we had no choice' as strikes begin

Staff at LIPA Sixth Form College said they are being ignored by senior leaders as they walked out on strike this morning. The National Education Union (NEU) has said staff at the sixth form college on Upper Duke Street faced a damaging combination of inefficient management practices and health and safety concerns.

The union says these two issues have led to an excessive workload, unnecessary work-related stress and a high risk of injury or harm to both staff and students. They add that the school’s leadership have failed to recognise the union and negotiate to resolve the dispute.

LIPA’s principal meanwhile has said a recent inspection found no safety issues. He added that seven all-staff meetings have taken place since the start of term in September, with a minority taking part in strike action this year.

READ MORE: Patients turned away and appointments cancelled after hospital declares major incident

READ MORE: 'Bad news' for area after late bills could leave area £700,000 worse off

Union members voted for strike action in a recent formal ballot after two indicative ballots also supported walk outs. The first day of action took place today, with further dates set for December 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12.

Outside the college gates in the city centre today, staff gathered with placards, teas and snacks, with many drivers going past beeping in support. Speaking to the ECHO there, music teacher and union rep Danny Smith said: “There's a lot of issues within the MAT (Multi Academy Trust) that runs the college. We've got some health and safety issues and some management culture issues in particular in terms of being able to contact them.

“We keep getting ignored essentially. We have been trying to open a line of communication. I've been working with the trust since June and they've just refused to engage with us in any way. It’s left us with no other choice, which is sad.”

The 32 year-old from West Derby has worked at the college for around four years. While he acknowledged that positive changes can take a long time, he feels communication between senior leadership and ordinary staff has never been so poor.

He said: “Even though there's been multiple changes with the MAT at the top, there's been no improvements, we're still seeing the same issues. We've never had a complete shutdown of communication like we've had recently to be fair.

“I think that's the frustrating thing for a lot of staff especially. We're doing this for the students. We're so invested. If we didn't care, we’d have just left. We want to work here. It's a great place to work, but we're just trying to invest in everyone's future and it's frustrating when we're not listened to.”

“We are being told that there's improvements. We are sympathetic, we understand that things aren't an easy fix. But all we're asking for is that people work with us.”

Bora Oktas, regional officer of the NEU, was also on the picket line. As well as a breakdown in talks, Bora referred to allegations that the college building is plagued by leaks, which was reported by the ECHO earlier this year. LIPA have said these are part of “historical issues that are now resolved or close to resolution”.

Bora, 52, said: “The reason we are on strike today is the fact that the school is falling apart. The holes in the ceiling are horrible. When I came here before the summer break, I saw with my own eyes, people dancing around the buckets.

“The second thing is the workload issue. Everybody here is working up to here, up to their nose, and the management is doing nothing regarding their concerns. They refuse to recognise the unions in the workplace.

“Staff say they don't know what's being done in the workplace regarding the health and safety, regarding the curriculum, regarding the workload. We have no say in the workplace.

“This is what our members are saying. They want workplace democracy. They want to have a say in the running of this. workplace, they want to be listened to regarding their concerns, issues, and their solutions to the problems that they are suffering from. And it's not happening.”

Both Danny and Bora said the strike was the last thing staff wanted to happen. Danny said: “We asked the trust to sit down with the union and sort everything out. They outright refused and it’s left us with no other avenue which is, again, sad and frustrating, but this is it. If there was any other option, we'd have taken it, we tried everything. We don't know who to turn to anymore.”

In response to the strike action, Charles Bartholomew, Principal of LIPA Sixth Form College, said: “We are immensely proud of our students who, this year, achieved the highest grades in LIPA Sixth Form College’s history. We continually invest in our facilities (with building work soon to start on our £4m extension), and a recent independent health and safety audit found no issues of concern in relation to our policies and processes.

“Since the start of term we have held seven all-staff meeting sessions as well as focused meetings to discuss specific issues. We are therefore disappointed that a minority of staff have decided to strike over mostly historical issues that are now resolved or close to resolution.

“Our students are our number one priority and we continue to deliver lessons today as planned. We continue to welcome constructive dialogue with all staff and encourage them to engage with us directly.”

26 NEU members were eligible to vote, of which 19 voted (15 yes, four no, seven abstained). There are 43 members of staff employed at LIPA Sixth Form College, with 15 yes votes representing 57.7% of NEU members and 34.8% of staff overall.

LIPA Sixth Form College’s latest results (2024) show students achieved 100% pass rates with 92% achieving the highest grades (equivalent to A*-B grades). 97% of students progressed to higher education / training or employment.