32% pay cut!!

[jonny jeez]

I have just received a letter from the college I work for ( part-time) advising me that all part time staff are having their salaries reviewed with a 32% pay cut!! That means I will be earning £12 per hour less as from September 2017. The reason given was to put all part time staff on the same level since the college amalgamated with another one who were paid less than us. Why not do it the other way round and bring the other staff to the same level as us? Because I am at the top of the pay scale, having worked there part time for the last 30 years, I will suffer the most. Of course, the Principal of the college, who is on £120 000 a year , is not affected. So, come September 2017, I intend to put in for retirement and hope they accept it. If they don't, I will just work to rule and no more.

Are there no other colleges that you can work for.

Rotten to hear of pay cuts but to be frank, its the same for us all. I took a 50% (yes actual 50%) pay cut about 5 years ago, just to keep a salary coming in. Untill I found the right role at the right salary.

Public or private sector, the economy cant provide us with the security we all wish for.

 

[jonny jeez]

. You only get what you pay for.....

:

Em

But what about the principal, what would the college get if they paid, say £50k a year. (£120k is not a lot of money for a senior role, or even a middle management role for that matter)

Also, if the absorbed college was paying the lower figure, what did they get for that. I'm presuming not a bunch of monkeys.

Perhaps Gav is just overpaid?

Sorry @gavroche I'm bot suggesting you are at fault here, just pushing an alternative view to the obvious "fight the state" stance.

What if paycuts are the only way to make the college sustainable.

 

[gavroche]

Are there no other colleges that you can work for.

Rotten to hear of pay cuts but to be frank, its the same for us all. I took a 50% (yes actual 50%) pay cut about 5 years ago, just to keep a salary coming in. Untill I found the right role at the right salary.

Public or private sector, the economy cant provide us with the security we all wish for.

I have a whole year to decide what to do. First, I have my original contract and it clearly says on it that the terms can't be changed without both parties agreeing to it, so I will go down that route first even if it involves ACAS.

 

[gavroche]

Em

But what about the principal, what would the college get if they paid, say £50k a year. (£120k is not a lot of money for a senior role, or even a middle management role for that matter)

Also, if the absorbed college was paying the lower figure, what did they get for that. I'm presuming not a bunch of monkeys.

Perhaps Gav is just overpaid?

Sorry @gavroche I'm bot suggesting you are at fault here, just pushing an alternative view to the obvious "fight the state" stance.

What if paycuts are the only way to make the college sustainable.

If they think I am overpaid, I am quite prepared to take voluntary redundancy and they can then employ a newly qualified teacher at the bottom of the pay scale. Fine with me.

 

[screenman]

I don't know what your part time job involves @gavroche , but it appears you are currently on approximately £35 per hour, and the cut will take you to £23 per hour.

As a part time HGV driver on £8.50 per hour, the same as when I started 10 years ago, I can sympathise. But only a little bit, you'll still be on a good hourly rate.

I am suprised the amount did not come up earlier. Is there no way over the years you could have improved on your £8.50 per hour, seem a stupidly low amount for such a skilled and responsible job.

 

[screenman]

I'm normally supportive of market forces but worry when zero consultation goes on. It works both ways - staff have the option to up sticks and move when treated like this. I would (and actually I have, in the past). Treat your staff well, pay them a decent wage and the college has a better chance of thriving. Pay peanuts, treat employees badly and the students suffer and the college goes down the swany.

You best not call £23 an hour peanuts on here

 

[Drago]

Seems that if you refuse the pay cut and they bin you, or you simply find it untenable to now remain then it might be deemed constructive dismissal. Seems people in similar circumstances was gone to tribunal and won. Some have also lost, but it might be worth taking some advice from someone properly qualified.

Good luck.

 

[jonny jeez]

......Yes , you are right. However as a society, we should recognise and reward talent. So for a qualified professional linguist (am I right, @gavroche?) there should be recognition of what he brings to the job.

Agreed.

But that logic also applies to the principal though...right?

Keep in mind the principal of the entire college earns only £50k more than Gav.currently.

Either way, I hope @Gavriche gets satisfaction.

 

[Brandane]

Is there no way over the years you could have improved on your £8.50 per hour, seem a stupidly low amount for such a skilled and responsible job.

It was just about ok when I started out, 10 years ago, and I had invested about £2k to qualify.
I could earn better money, but it would involve relocating. Fortunately for me, it's a second income to a pension from my days of having a proper job. I'll see it out until it no longer makes sense (probably soon, given the cost of staying qualified), then tell them where to shove it and put my feet up permanently.

 

[gavroche]

Agreed.

But that logic also applies to the principal though...right?

Keep in mind the principal of the entire college earns only £50k more than Gav.currently.

Either way, I hope @Gavriche gets satisfaction.

Not so as you have forgotten I only work part-time and the new contracts only apply to part-timers.

 

[Tin Pot]

You best not call £23 an hour peanuts on here

'Peanut' means something else here too...

 

[Tin Pot]

I don't know what your part time job involves @gavroche , but it appears you are currently on approximately £35 per hour, and the cut will take you to £23 per hour.

As a part time HGV driver on £8.50 per hour, the same as when I started 10 years ago, I can sympathise. But only a little bit, you'll still be on a good hourly rate.

It sad, but true, that happiness has little to do with objective reality. If you worked in the same place as Gavroche he would be happy as Larry. As he doesn't know you, your rate of pay doesn't inform his happiness.
As he/she/it knows that colleagues are not losing 32%, the impact is as per the OP.
The actual amount of remuneration is virtually irrelevant.

 

[midlife]

Are you on a particular pay spine / grade ?

Shaun

 

[screenman]

Go self employed and control your own destiny.

 

[ChrisV]

What salary does that take it to now?