STAFF are set to hold a protest outside two Barnet College campuses tomorrow morning over “disproportionate” job cuts.

Lecturers from two unions are taking the action over plans for extra compulsory redundancies, after agreeing to 16 per cent of staff being laid off this year with voluntary agreements.

They have accused bosses of cutting too heavily on staff numbers, with 20 per cent now expected to go, as the college looks to save 10 per cent on its budget.

But College chiefs say the move is necessary to deal with the £3m funding shortfall, caused by cuts to education grants from the Government.

University College Union (UCU) branch chair Noel Murphy, said: “The college has rejected our sensible proposal to halt compulsory redundancies, despite reducing teaching posts by 16 per cent.

“These cuts are grossly disproportionate and will inevitably damage educational quality.”

Staff fear the reductions will mean greater workloads, class sizes and less outreach work.

UCU branch secretary at Barnet College, David Armstrong, said: “These plans make a mockery of management’s claims to be ‘custodians of the college’s future’.

“We feel there has been a marked lack of respect paid towards staff. It seems clear that lecturers are often regarded simply as costs to be cut rather than valued professionals.” A statement from the college said it was “regrettable” it could not avoid redundancies, adding: “"For months now we have worked closely with the unions, staff, and government agencies, to try to avoid having to do so.

“Back in February we thought we may have no choice but to make 63 people redundant - we have worked hard to reduce this number and we have successfully reduced this to below 8 job losses.”

The protests will take place outside the Wood Street campus in Barnet and the Grahame Park campus between 8.30-9am tomorrow.