Staff from Nottingham College will walk out on Monday in a row over new contracts.
According to the University and College Union (UCU), the new contracts would leave 80 staff more than £1,000 a year worse off, and would see staff lose up to eight days’ holiday and cuts to sick pay. Staff at the college haven’t received a pay rise since 2010.
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This is the latest in a number of disputes at colleges across the country this year. In March, staff walked out of Bradford College, Croydon College, Harlow College, South Bank Colleges (formerly Lambeth College) and West Thames College over pay and conditions.
Analysis from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) in May found a “decrease in median teacher pay across all providers”, from £31,800 in 2016-17 to £31,600 in 2017-18.
‘Damaging new contracts’
The UCU has accused Nottingham College of “holding staff to ransom” and said that a failure to address members’ concerns had left them with no choice but to take strike action.
In a recent ballot, 96 per cent of UCU members backed the action.
UCU’s head of further education Andrew Harden said that the staff were outraged by the attack on their pay and working conditions.
“Strike action is always a last resort, but the college has repeatedly refused to address members’ concerns so UCU members feel that they have been left with no choice.
“Instead of holding staff to ransom and trying to impose these damaging new contracts, Nottingham College would do well to learn from the colleges who have worked with UCU to improve pay and conditions,” he said.
A Nottingham College spokesperson said: “We are saddened that our UCU colleagues have voted to pursue strike action. Everybody in the college cares passionately about providing our students with the best possible education and we will continue to talk to UCU in an attempt to reach a collective agreement.”
