Colleges could face an autumn of discontent, as delegates at the University and College Union (UCU) congress voted to ensure its branches were poised to conduct strike ballots over pay following the summer break.

The congress backed a motion, which said that if the Association of Colleges (AoC) failed to make an “acceptable offer” when they met to discuss pay after the summer holidays, the UCU would immediately issue its pay claim: a 5 per cent pay increase or an extra £1,500 for each employee, whichever was greater.

If colleges did not make a satisfactory offer, then the union would conduct a ballot “as soon as members return from their summer break”, to maximise the opportunity to meet the turnout threshold of 50 per cent. The AoC agreed to return to the table this week after initially refusing to begin discussing this year’s pay claim while ongoing disputes continued.

Scale of strike

In a rallying call to delegates, the UCU’s head of FE, Andrew Harden, told the FE sector conference that the union should aim for 50 or more colleges to walk out in the autumn, taking inspiration from the so-called "FE 15" – a group of colleges that have supported strike action this year.

He said: “We need to mobilise branches, show them the way to win their own ballot, engage with and mobilise their membership. The 'FE 15' was a strong start and lessons have been learned, so now it’s time to roll them out. If we are really going to get the employers' serious attention, we need an 'FE 50', and beyond.

“We know that when we meet the AoC before the summer, the likelihood of them making a satisfactory offer is remote,” he added. "Therefore we need to be in a position to issue the claim locally immediately after that and then proceed to dispute, where no acceptable offer is made.”

Anger over job cuts

Meanwhile, UCU members at the Hull College Group have announced they will walk out for seven more days this month as part of an ongoing row over plans to slash hundreds of jobs.

The dispute centres on plans to cut 231 posts across the college group's three campuses in Hull, Harrogate and Goole – a move that the UCU said would lead to about a third of the workforce being cut.

Staff will walk out for five days on 18 June. They will return to work on 25 June, but then walk out for two days on 26 and 27 June.

UCU regional official Julie Kelley said members felt they had no choice but to take further action: “Strike action is never taken lightly, but the college is not responding to our concerns about the impact these cuts would have for staff, students and the local community."