Teaching staff in sixth-form colleges are set to strike over pay from the end of this month, it has been announced today.
The NEU teaching union survey of its members teaching in sixth forms returned an 88.5 per cent vote in favour of strike action over pay, which will begin on 30 November.
The strike vote, participated in by 63 per cent of eligible NEU members between 18 October and 11 November, was held because the NEU says teachers in sixth-form colleges are facing real-terms pay cuts of 20 per cent since 2010.
It came in response to an offer from the Sixth Form Colleges Association which, according to the NEU, would see the majority of teachers receive a 5 per cent pay increase, rising to 8.9 per cent for a “minority” of staff.
It could be the first in a series of strikes and industrial action in England over teacher pay.
In a statement, NEU’s joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted called on education secretary Gillian Keegan to “quickly use her influence” to stand up for sixth-form colleges in Whitehall.
“Strike action is always taken with great regret but the sentiment of this ballot result is clear: enough is enough,” Dr Bousted said.
“The close of this ballot is well timed, as it is just a few days ahead of the chancellor’s latest budget statement on 17 November.
“The government must listen and take notice of the effect real-terms pay cuts are having on our members, and, if we continue down this unsustainable path, the consequences that their leaving the profession will have on both the sector and the young people they teach.”
The NEU said the first planned day of strike action is Wednesday 30 November.
There is the prospect of industrial action being called in England’s schools across several education unions.
The NEU is also balloting teachers in schools over pay.
The NASUWT and NAHT teaching unions are currently balloting members over industrial action, including strike action, and last week, it was revealed that the Association of School and College Leaders is planning a “consultative ballot” on industrial action.
