ROME — Staff at the British Council in Italy will go on strike next Thursday at the British embassy in Rome over proposed workforce cuts that would slash about 80% of its teaching workforce. A second strike is planned for 4 June.
Of 130 teaching staff across Rome, Milan and Naples, 108 are being targeted as teaching activities in Italy are cut. English language teaching by the British Council in Italy has continued for about 80 years.
The British Council has been restructuring following a £197m government loan taken during the Covid pandemic that must be repaid by September and carries about £14m of annual interest. An internal consultation document lists 784 jobs "in scope" across the United Kingdom and Europe, with at least 404 roles expected to be "displaced", accounting for 15% of staff. Consultations on restructuring are also taking place in France, Spain and Portugal.
The Italian General Confederation of Labour said, "The British Council in Italy is about to lay off 108 out of 130 employees and masks this political choice of the British government behind an alleged corporate crisis." The union federation added, "The council was a cultural institution, not a corporation, set up to promote cultural and educational cooperation between the two countries."
A British Council spokesperson said, "These include the need to address a funding gap and the repayment of a £197m loan provided by the UK government during that period." The spokesperson added, "We are reviewing our operations in several countries and in some cases considering changes to our activities. This includes a proposal to close the British Council's teaching centres in Italy due to profound changes to learner demand."
The organisation said its work in the country would not end entirely. "We have been working in Italy since 1945 and are hugely proud of the significant contribution made by our network of centres, where our staff and students have helped shape English language learning across the country. We will continue our wider work in Italy, including exams and our work in culture and education, through strong partnerships with institutions, educators and communities," the spokesperson said. The exams division will continue under partners and cultural events will remain.
The British Council, founded in 1934, operates in about 100 countries and conducts English language tuition for adults and children as well as corporate and business classes. Its three main income streams—teaching, exams and development contracts—make up 85% of its turnover and have come under pressure during and since Covid. The Council receives grant-in-aid funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which was £162m last year and made up about 15% of total income.
Chief executive Scott McDonald told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in October, "We are nearly insolvent." McDonald also said, "Unless the government acts to save it, the organisation could disappear within a decade, harming the U.K.'s global status and leaving an international vacuum to be filled by Russia and China."