A long-serving Braintree College lecturer has chosen to take voluntary redundancy because of the way he believes staff have been treated.

No choice - David Brierley believes staff are being forced into redundancy. Picture: NICK OBANK 40599-2

David Brierley, 59, of Willingale Road, Braintree, has been teaching physics and maths at the college, in Church Lane, for 36 years.

He is also secretary of the college branch of lecturers' union the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE).

He claims the college has given the impression lecturers are choosing to leave when many are being forced into redundancy.

Earlier this month, the Gazette reported that the college has cut 32 posts but created 29 new posts and had said staff members who had lost their jobs could apply for the new positions.

But Mr Brierley today said many members of staff had failed the interviews for the new posts or found the new positions were unworkable and felt they had to leave.

He said: "At the end of the day, further education colleges like ours are run as businesses. The money has to stretch across the year I may not like that but these are the rules set by the Government.

"But let's not pretend staff have gone because they wanted to. If there are going to be redundancies the management should have come out and said so."

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Published Tuesday, January 25, 2005

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