Colleges could face strikes in the autumn unless a pay rise for staff is forthcoming, unions have warned.
After talks between the Association of Colleges (AoC) and the unions on Friday, AoC chief executive David Hughes said that colleges were keen to offer a “significant” rise - but this would be “inconceivable” without extra government funding.
This morning, the University and College Union (UCU) welcomed the AoC’s willingness to campaign for more funding - but said the body “cannot abdicate its own responsibility for improving staff pay”.
A statement from the union added: “UCU said it welcomed the fact that the AoC recognised staff needed a pay rise and that it would work with anyone to campaign for more money for the sector, but the pay issue needed to be resolved now if colleges wanted to avoid strike action in the autumn.”
The development comes as school teachers also await news on what pay rise they will receive from September. Unions have written to education secretary Damian Hinds to press him to “urgently” decide on the pay recommendation for teachers amid mounting concern at the delay as schools head for the summer break.
‘Bizarre’ college offer
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘This bizarre offer does nothing to address the fall in pay that members in further education have suffered in recent years.
“We welcome the fact that the AoC do recognise staff need a pay rise. UCU will work with anyone to call for more funding but as the employer body, the AoC cannot abdicate its own responsibility for improving staff pay.”
Last week, UCU wrote to skills and apprenticeships minister Anne Milton setting out the case for extra funding.
Last month, the unions submitted a pay claim of 5 per cent for the 2018-19 academic year to the AoC. The unions also want a guaranteed minimum increase of £1,500 for the lowest paid staff. They are also calling for colleges to pay the living wage of £8.75 (£10.20 in London) and become accredited living-wage employers.
Pay gap
Before the start of the talks, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt also highlighted the pay gap between teachers in schools and colleges, which currently stands at £7,000 a year.
Pay in FE is set through national negotiations between the AoC and unions representing FE staff: the UCU, NEU, Unison, GMB and Unite. If an agreement is struck, it is then down to individual colleges to decide whether to implement it.
At the UCU national conference, delegates voted to ensure that its branches were poised to conduct strike ballots after the summer, should the AoC fail to make an “acceptable offer”.
