Staff at the British Council in Italy will go on strike over deep cuts that would slash about 80% of its workforce due to a funding crisis facing the organisation.
Out of 130 of its teaching staff across Rome, Milan and Naples, 108 are being targeted as teaching activities in Italy face the axe. The move would end 80 years of British Council English language teaching in Italy as part of the organisation’s global mission to promote British culture and education across the world, sources said.
Shocked staff will protest next on Thursday to the British embassy in Rome, with another strike planned for 4 June.
The British Council, a leading institution of soft power founded in 1934 which operates in about 100 countries, has been forcedto restructure due to a £197m government loan that dates back to the Covid pandemic. The loan, agreed under Boris Johnson’s Conservative government, has a reported annual interest of about £14m and must be repaid by September.
A source said its operations in Italy had been “extremely badly hit”. They added: “Everybody is very shocked, very upset, very sad, obviously also very angry as well. Because our presence will be so small at the end of all this, it’s a very strong political message that Italy isn’t important.”
The British Council conducts English language tuition for adults and children as well as corporate and business classes. It is understood its exams division would continue under partners and cultural events would remain.
The British Council’s chief executive, Scott McDonald, has previously said the organisation could “disappear” within a decade, harming the UK’s global status and leaving an international vacuum to be filled by Russia and China, unless the government acts to save it.
Politico reported that an internal consultation document lists 784 jobs “in scope” across the UK and Europe, with at least 404 roles expected to be “displaced”, which accounts for 15% of staff.
Consultations are also understood to be taking place in France, Spain and Portugal.
In October, McDonald told the foreign affairs select committee that the organisation was “nearly insolvent”. He said that despite 16 months of negotiation with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), things had stalled and the organisation remained in “real financial peril”.
The council’s three main income streams – teaching, exams and development contracts – which make up 85% of turnover, have all come under pressure during and since Covid. The UK spends less on development and with US development aid gone there are fewer development projects to win, MPs were told. The council also receives grant-in-aid funding from the FCDO, which last year was £162m, making up about 15% of total income.
In a post on Instagram, the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) 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.”
It added that the council was a “cultural institution, not a corporation”, set up to promote “cultural and educational cooperation between the two countries. Firing more than 80% of the workforce deprives Italy of this opportunity.”
A spokesperson for the British Council said that like many international organisations it continued to face financial challenges after the pandemic. “These include the need to address a significant funding gap and the repayment of a £197m loan provided by the UK government during that period.
“We are taking all necessary steps to significantly cut costs and grow our revenue so the organisation is modern, efficient and able to adapt to changing economic conditions.
“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.
“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,” they added.
The British Council said it was reviewing operations in several countries but as consultation on proposals for change was at an early stage, it was unable to share any further information at this time.