The Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions, a traditionally. "Left' trade union, will decide al its conference in Soliball this weekend how to tide the helter-skelter of the The past few years have seen an unprecedented attack on further and higher education, First came the inposition of unrealistic econoinic crit- is asked to "prepare gresser opportunitie eria for the size of classes, then a formula for a major overall reduction in the ratio of teachers to students. The union put up no determined oppostion-convinced that there could he no cut in the total level of But last autumn, with a net reduction in spending of 2182m, it became char that the ATT aced not just a worsening of but a angior redundancy thirent. Many colleges are facing * a total stop on building work, inchiding modernisation programmes * a stop on the growth of any new * cuts ranging from I0-15% on such basic items of cutrent expenditure as paper and library books.
These cuts were announced as part of a package "to beat inflation" in which the main item was Phase 3 and the Pay Boar And teachers have suffered under thatwith a net reduction alady this year of about 7% in their standard of living, and the continued freezing of London allow Almost every reschition to be discus sed if the confrence is pouched in langu age tailored to the social contract. The cuts are to be regretted', the Governmer for day-release. The Union is meekly to ask again for the wage rise it failed to get last time. All the left' executive can tind to balance against the social contract is a "welcomo' for the repeal of the ladustria Relations Act!
The alternative is clear-the conferenc Shonkl demand that the Labour Govern ment implement the demands of successi Labour Party and TUC resolutions on the right to day-release. The phoney thres hold agreement book he toplaced by a siding scale which would escalate wages and pensions with every increase in the cost of living, And there must be an interim pay cinim to restore living scatdards. But the lead for this will come platform J.JAMESON