The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is risking possible industrial action over intentions to slash its workforce by more than a third.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are responding to the LSC’s plans to cut 1,120 jobs by June 2006 by sending over 2,000 ballot papers to its members.
The union claims that a one-day strike would seriously upset the government’s skills agenda.

Condemning the LSC for choosing not to retrain staff, but to use assessment centres to determine who they will make redundant, Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, said:
"The manner in which the LSC is approaching [this] is ill thought out, chaotic and unacceptable and will damage the delivery of vocational courses, apprenticeships and adult learning in England."

The ballot closes on 7 April 2006.